Belong
by Brittany Katniss Gabriella
Summary: Gabriella Montez has been abandoned by her mother, and after going through many homes she finds the absolute perfect family & put into a new world, one she's never experienced, full of love and peace.But she's stuck between moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love. Will her new parents, and the sweet boy next door, finally reach out, and show her that she belongs?
1. Sent

Belong

Gabriella Montez has been abandoned by her mother, and after going through many homes, she's finally settled on one, the absolute perfect family, put into a new world, one she's never experienced, full of love and she's stuck between moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love. Will her new parents, and the sweet boy next door, finally reach out, and show her that she belongs? Rated M for future chapters.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but original characters. And I give credit to Sarah Dessen on her book ****_Lock and Key_**** for inspiring me to write this story.**

**A/N: So, I'm not done with Forever. Nnowhere near, but I just wanted to throw this story out there, you know? And you tell me if you rather want Forever or this story. I got my muse for this andmy muse for writing in general, after I read a few Sarah Dessen books. She is absolutely amazing. And I recommend her books, they're absolutely wonderful. **

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Chapter One

Sent

My mother was the embodiment of abandoment. She would leave constantly, until she came back a few days, sometimes weeks, later. Leaving me in our small, run down house. One time, I went days without electricity or heat. And when my mother came home, she stared at me on the floor, shrivled up into a ball and for a second I thought she'd actually care for once and bend down, taking me in her arms and craddling me softly. But no, she stared down at me with those cold, icy blue eyes, burning a hole through mine until I had no choice but to turn my head away, tears glistening on my eyelashes. Then she walked away, her heels _clicking, clicking_ on the shabby floorboards.

And then a week later, she headed off again.

And I never saw her again.

With loud, creaking sounds, the weather was trying hard to claw itself inside. It pressed firmly against the glass, challenging the frame's physical integrity. Its heavy winds wheezed through the minute gaps around the chipped pane. It breathed fog around the foundations, and licked condensation along the edges of the glass. The roof slates rattled and shook, clinking together, as if frustrated by the resilient storm. Something about this place amplified everything. Exasperated, the sky heaved a net of spearing raindrops over the house. But still, the house stood unwavering, much to my surprise.

I watched all of this with dry, scratchy eyes on my bed. Waiting, hoping that the one person that I had left in my life would come barging in through the door, a smile for once on her face as she congradulated my thirteenth birthday. But why celebrate when no one, not even myself, was anticipating a celebration for the day I was born? It was a complete waste of time.

But still.

My heart was numb in my hollow chest, my throat was swollen and tears stung the corners of my eyes. But still, I wanted to see her smile for once. At me. Care about me.

I don't know how long I waited for my mother. It could have been minutes, or even hours. But by the time my body grew sore and my stomach was growling at me, demanding I feed it something, anything, I stood.

"Mom?" I called out. The faucet dripping, tapping against the rusty sink, answered me. Maybe she was in the kitchen. The wood moaned beneath my feet as I strode across it. "Mom," I said again as I entered the kitchen, but she wasn't there. Nothing was, like always and a lonely feeling swept over me. A lump formed in my throat and I turned, and walked up the stairs. I took my time, on the tips of my small toes, afraid that the room would be void of my mother. "Mom," I whispered, and this time, as I said it, the voice was foreign. I sounded like a hopeless, lost little girl. Scared, calling out for someone. For anyone.

The room was empty when I entered. I fell to my knees beside her bed, tucking my legs beneath me, and pulled open a door under her nightstand. A few bugs scattered out and I didn't even flinch, or move. Her money was gone, the jar she had been saving tipped over and rolling around, taunting me. My stomach churned and I began to feel sick.

I shut the door, _bang, _and scrambled to my feet, walking quickly over to her closet and pulling it open. Empty. My heart burned. Please no, I thought. _Please_.

She couldn't be gone, could she? She wouldn't leave me here alone, on my birthday… She couldn't. My heart began to stumble and skip erratically as I forced myself to close the closet. I ran down the stairs and checked in all the rooms, although I knew this game of 'hide and seek; was entirely pointless. She was gone and I knew that. Or at least part of me did.

I just didn't understand why.

And I still don't.

I walked up the stairs, letting the tears freely fall, tired of holding my emotions in. There was no one here to see this weakness anyway. I crammed myself into my closet, full of scattered, dirty clothes ridden with rodents and bugs. But my body was disoriented right now, so the bugs scattering across my skin was a faint, a distant disturbance to my body. I was more worried about my mother coming back for me. Would she? She had never got up and left with _everything_. Sure, she took some money out of the emergency jar, and packed a few clothes, from what I saw, but never the whole lot.

I was young then, as this happened. Just thirteen. A small, thriteen year old, the very age that my mother became pregnant with me, and was pushed away and neglected by her own parents. I guess neglection runs in the family, huh?

It didn't take long for the landlords to come and find me, just a few days later. Mrs. Lotter came at least once every two weeks, to check and make sure everything was okay. After hearing her constant knocking, the sound ringing in my ears, I finally slipped out of my bed, and trudged down the steps. She was in mid-knock when I jerked the door open.

Mrs. Lotter was a tall women. Her skin was pale, her lips bowed and red, and her eyes were a deep brown, almost as if they were black. I secretly thought she was a vampire, because of these features. The only thing missing was the luminescent twinkling glow of her skin as the sun beamed down on her. I laughed at this. I guess since I read the book four times, Twilight is seeping into my head.

But, despite how creepy she looked, she was still a nice woman. Her smile was bright. And while she didn't exactly sparkle, her teeth did. I'm pretty sure she had it whitened.

"Hello, Gabi," she said to me. I never really said she could call me that. And it's stupid because Gabriella isn't really a long name, is it? There's no reason to abreviate it. But I didn't want to come off rude, so I just smiled politely and nodded. "Hi, Mrs. Lotter."

"Is the heat alright?" she checked. I nodded. "What about the electricity? Any problems with that?" I shook my head and hoped that would be the last of it. If she asked for my mom…. "Good. Now, where is your mother? I need to clarify some things with her."

"My mom." The words rolled off my tongue slowly, as if foreign to me. Mrs. Lotter nodded, her brows creasding just the tiniest bit. "She's… at a friend's house."

"Oh?" Mrs. Lotter's forehead wrinkled. I nodded. "It's an old friend from college. She'll be back soon."

"Okay, um, well―oh, _goodness_!" Mrs. Lotter jumped aside as two overgrown rats hurried out of the threshold. "Rodents?" she sqeaked.

"It's not really a problem," I tried to explain, but Mrs. Lotter shook her head. Holding up a well-manicured hand.

"God, why didn't your mother say anything about this? These rats could be carrying some kind of disease or creating some sort of colony. We usually call an exterminator when this happens. When your mother gets home, please tell her to give us a call."

"But―"

"Gabi," Mrs. Lotter said, her voice firm. "This stuff is serious. We can't let rodents run around these house, alright?" My shoulders fell as I decided that arguing would be pointless. I nodded gently and Mrs. Lotter smiled. "Okay, good. Don't forget to tell your mom, okay?"

"Okay," I replied and Mrs. Lotter trotted away. I stepped outside and sat on the dilapidated steps, because of their ragged state, my back was angled awkwardly. But that was the least of my worries right now.

I waited out there for hours, looking into the distance, a small part of me hoping that my mother would pull up in her station wagon and tell me to get inside the with that gravelly voice of hers, as she followed me in. But, one can only wish, and wishes never came true.

The sun was down, finally. My body was stiff and my stomach was rumbling. But I didn't move. I didn't want to. I knew that Mrs. Lotter strolled the neighborhood at night, making sure there's no drug dealers or homeless people making the place look bad, but still, with that in mind, I stayed where I was, my elbows propped up on my knobby knees and chin resting against my dirty palms. Mrs. Lotter called my name a few times before she strode over to me. "Gabi?" I blinked, and suddenly I could feel the familiar burn in my eyes and itch in my throat. My chest heaved with grief and although I couldn't see her, I knew Mrs. Lotter was pressing on her stress lines again as she saw my emotional state. "Gabriella? Gabriella, honey, what's wrong?"

I didn't answer. And I didn't have to, because it clicked in her mind. "Gabriella," she said slowly. "Where is your mom?"

And I shook my head. "I don't know," I said to the ground. "I don't know where she is." Mrs. Lotter was shocked. She helped me up, her hands shaking as she lead me towards her car. "Come on," she soothed. "It's okay. Everything will be okay."

But that's a lie.

Nothing will be okay, it never is.

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So, yes, that's it. Review, please? I'd love to hear feedback. And if you read Lock and Key and think I've stolen too much of her idea, tell em and I'll stop. I know not updating for months put a dent in my number of reviews, but I hope you'll all eventually come back, or I see some new usernames pop up. I really think Ii'm excelling as a writer and I really need feedback tosee what I can change, or what I did right.

Oh, and Chapter Two will be out maybe tomorrow. I have it done already.

Thanks!-Brittany


	2. Burden

Belong

Gabriella Montez has been abandoned by her mother, and after going through many homes, she's finally settled on one, the absolute perfect family, put into a new world, one she's never experienced, full of love and she's stuck between moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love. Will her new parents, and the sweet boy next door, finally reach out, and show her that she belongs? Rated M for future chapters.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but original characters. And I give credit to Sarah Dessen on her book ****_Lock and Key_**** for inspiring me to write this story.**

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews :) I'm glad you guys like it! Or, the three of you that reviewed at least. Anyway, here's chapter two. Enjoy!**

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Chapter Two

I was given to the social workers.

After Mrs. Lotter found me, she called social services and people searched my house. Bottles of vodka and empty beer cans were scattered all over the kitchen floor. Mrs. Lotter was talking about ratsand how they started colonies, well she should take a look at the kitchen and see what _I _started. I didn't have anything to drink, so I took in some vodka from my mother's secret stash that she probably forgot about. The taste of it though, burnt my throat dry, so I settled for a beer, which tasted sligtly better, although unpleasant at first. Some people took pleasure in getting totally smashed to erase the depressing pain in their lives. But for me the beer tasted awfully bitter and hardly smudged the edges of my cumulative pain.

And not only that, but _drugs_, or more so cigarettes were found stashed in various ash trays in the living room. And social services. decided that this was not the best living enviornment for a child. It isn't unreasonable, although I'd prefer to stay at that tattered old house. I don't know why. Maybe to see if my mom would ever come back. Or perhaps I just wasn't accustumed to change.

I didn't really know.

I did know, you never got what you wanted. I didn't want to be sent away, but like I said.

You never got anything you wanted; and wishes never came true.

Home number four.

The people who had signed the adopting papers, are living in a gated community, in some popular part of Los Angeles. It was an exceptional place, with exotic looking palm trees and plants. I wasn't the one to admire the outlandish nature surrounding me, but it was hard not to notice it. Sumptuous petals flapping in the wind, leaves fluttering, taking its flight for a rough voyage full of starving insects and angry rain. I pressed my forehead against the cold glass, looking out and trying to remember ever seeing anything like this when I rode with my mom all those years ago, in the tarnished back seat of her station wagon.

It was usually at night, addicts and patrol officers whizzing by as we past them. Gun shots vibrating in my ear drums, feeling as though they had shattered in a fury of uneasiness. But that was the past, I thought. Four years ago. There was no need to think about the weak times in my life. The painful times.

"Gabriella."

I looked up, jerking away from my thoughts and I was so trapped in them I hadn't noticed the car had stopped. Carl and Annie Rogers peered back at me, Annie looking some-what worried and Carl amused, eyebrow cocked. "We're here," he continued. "I don't know about you, but that house looks _much _morecomfortable than this car."

Actually, this car wasn't an ordinary car, but an Audi 2013 Q7 and I wouldn't _mind_ living in it. This car was better than the last house I stayed in by a mile. "Oh, yeah... sorry," I sputtered lamely. I pulled the handle on the door and stepped out. Even the _air_ felt good.

I looked up at the house, bringing my hands up to shield my eyes from the bright sun. It was big, three stories at least, the shell of the house a rocky mateiral with large, opulent glass domes poking out from it. Great, spirling palm trees covered the lawn, flaring out at the top in a jungle of leaves and the gate besides it lead to the easy to see pool. I lowered my hand and coughed, then followed after Annie and Carl into the house.

I had embraced the concept of color psychology with an intensity matchless by the other course participants. It sounds weird, but I always found it interesting to see a room's full potential. This was the green room, the wallpaper palest eau de nil stripes. The curtains were dark ivy brocade, and the little cream French Armchairs were padded in pale mint. They had wanted to bring the outside in, I'm guessing, as I observed the lavish green fields and withdrawn weeping willows that actually looked completely opposite of its title. Bright green leaves, blowing gently in the wind, as if waving to newcomers, or swaying to a tune that brought joy to ears.

Annie smiled. "So? Do you like it?" I looked over at her, now noticing how pretty Annie was. Like a model straight out of a _Glamour_ magazine. She was thin, standing at hardly no curves or bumps, and about two inches taller than me. In long, full black waves, her hair fell down her back. But what really stood out was the large, sequin blue eyes, like small pebbles in a puddle of white silk. It was no wonder that her and Carl, who might I add was the epitome of amazingly handsome, with his cropped blonde locks, sea-green eyes, and muscular build, were together. It was a matched made in heaven practically.

"Yes," I finally answered after a minute. They must think I'm crazy. "Yeah, definitely. It's amazing." Lie's come easily to me, although this wasn't on of them. Really, this place was magnificent. It felt weird, though. I'm used to the grungy, tattered old houses full of vermit and clouds of smoke. "I'm glad you like it," Annie said.

"It must've cost a fortune," I whispered. Annie was a lawyer, one of the best in the city. And Carl, he was a surgeon. Combined, I guess, you would be able to afford a two million dollar house. Carl shrugged. "Not that much. Do you want to see your room? There's a surprise in it."

I wasn't very fond of surprises, due to the fact that my biggest surprise was waking up, and knowing then that I was abandoned, and I was a second away from telling this to Carl, but the light in his eyes and tug in his smile made the word stop in my throat. I smiled instead. "Okay," I answered and Carl grinned. He was excited, I observed as I followed him up the pristine white staircase, and to a room, which is now mine.

It was really something. With soft purple walls, and a plush white carpet that smelled of vanilla and roses. A large plasma TV hung against the wall, right above my dresser that had small little flowers, that could only be described as tulips, planted in a burgundy pot and settled on the dresser. The bed wasn't far away. It looked like a queen, the sheets the palest of blue. And the pillows fluffed and ready for a tired head. The whole set reminded me vaugley of a sky. "Nice, huh?" Annie said, and I turned to her, nodding my head quickly. Carl grabbed my hand and tugged me forward, towards two large French doors. "This," he said, grabbing a handle. "is your surprise." He pulled it open and we stepped through.

It was amazing. Like I mentioned earlier, I wasn't the one to venerate nature, but this was something else. We had a huge backyard, with two hamocks and an outdoor set. But beyond that, after the tall, twisted gate, was a meadow, and then a beach not too far. The grass was tall and spiky and there stood one, lone, oak tree and dozens of flowers. My surprise must've shown, because Carl laughed and patted my shoulder. "You like it?"

"It's amazing," I breathed, curling my fingers around the balcony's railing.

"I built this balcony myself," he told me. "It took just a few weeks. I'm surprised it turned out this good."

"It was originally… for a baby," Annie said softly. I looked back at her. Annie and Carl wanted a child of their own, badly. And after almost two years of trying, nothing came up. They've been receiving help, but still no baby. Annie suddenly brightened. "But then you came along, and we couldn't be more thrilled to give this to you."

"Thank you," I said. "This is really, _truly_, amazing."

"We're glad you like it," Carl said. A chill rocked nearby branches. Annie shivered. "Let's go inside and get something to eat."

It was weird, I thought, as I sat down on the couch and clicke dthe TV on. These guys, they ahd it all. But still, they looked at me. They saw me. They saw that I was arrested three times, that my reputation and grades were as low as grass. But still, I was the one they chose. They didn't even pick up a little kid. I'm going to be eighteen soon, and then I'll leave. What possesed them to pick me? It had to pity. Either that or these people were nuts.

I wonder how long it would be before these two gave me up. Either from em getting arrested again, or just that I was too boring, and maybe they wanted a bouncy, chaotic , lovable child to play with.

"Shells or elbow?" Annie stepped over the threshold, holding up two boxes of noodles. I looked over at Carl who had plopped himself down enxt to me, kicking of fhis shoes and propping his feet up onto the coffee table. Annie noticed this and scowled. "Carl, put your feet down. You're going to smudge the glass."

"_You're going to smudge the glass_," Carl mocked, his voice pitchy and high. I smiled softly and he leaned over towards me. "I swear, I think I married my _mother_." Annie rolled her eyes. She stepped forward, shaking the boxes, and making the noodles clink together. "Shells or elbows?" she prompted again.

"Definitely elbows," Carl said, setting his feet down. Annie looked at me, eyebrow hitched. "Gabriella?"

"Um," I looked at Carl, then back at her. "Elbow, I guess."

"Elbow it is then," Annie said, turning and trotting back into the steamy kitchen. Carl tapped my shoulder and I looked at him. "The secret," he said. "to the wonderful elbow macaroni is extra cheese. So you can blow into it and whistle. Used to do it all the time."

"Why?" I asked, confused. It was stupid, but I didn't say that. Carl shrugged. "I don't know. When you're a kid, you just _do_ things, you know? Sometimes they don't make sense, but that's okay. Because you're only a kid for a little while. You know?"

"Yeah," I nodded, thinking back on my early days. It had gone by fast; too fast. "Yeah, I know."

Annie finished with dinner after the hit show_ Mythology Findings_ on Histyory channel that Carl was fascinated with, went off. She ahd made a full dish of macaroni (elbow style), rice, string beans, and baked chicken. We settled around the table, and again that weirdness crept up on me. Never in my life had I had a family dinner. A decent one, at least. And Annie and Carl made it so easy. They eased into a conversation about the enw neighbor across the street, Mrs. Grogon, and how she might need help settling in. They had kind hearts, gentle souls, and seemed to care for anything but themselves. This was the type of family that everyone wanted. It angered me, just a bit, that they weren't blessed with a baby to call their own. They would be perfect, unlike my mother. Annie cleared her throat, and smiled across the table at me. "So, Gabriella, let's talk school."

_Uh, oh_, a voice chimed off in my head. _They read your transcript; they're mad._

"So," she continued. "We have the perfect school for you. It's just a few blocks over, and they have many things to offer. Their academic structure is big and heafty, which would be perfect for you."

"And, you're nearing your senior year, so maybe you can try to get your grades up," Carl piped in. I swallowed and sunk my teeth into my bottom lip, looking down in shame. I've never felt so humiliated in my life. "But, that's not just what we want to talk about," Annie said, her voice lowering. "Gabriella.. you're a beautiful, sweet, young girl… and from your file…" I swallowed, my throat dry. Cral picked up from where she left off, "From your file, things aren't looking so good. Annie and I, we have drinks from time to time, but we'll cut that off, to keep you balanced, okay?"

"Don't feel bad about any of this, either," Annie said quietly. "We know what you went through, and how what you did might be ways for you to cope. And if you ever want to talk, just come to us, okay?" It's not that easy, I wanted to say, but I couldn't. The words were trapped on my tongue as I swallowed my shame. These people, they were so nice. Which is horrible. When I was sent back to social services, I expected to hate these parents as much as the last, and do anything to make them forget about me. But they were too nice. Too generous and kind. They looked so disappointed even now, and they hardly knew me. I cleared my throat and nodded, the only thing I seem capable of doing right now.

And then suddenly, yanking me from my thoughts, I felt something spray against me. My head jerked upwards, to see Carl looking at me, grinning madly with a macaroni noddle stuck between his teeth. He did it again, and this time, a sweet whistle fluttered out of the small hole. Annie laughed. "Carl, please. You are such a child. It's ridiculous."

"You're just no fun," Carl accused after sucking the noddle into his mouth. He grabbed another and did the same thing, then montined for me to do it as well. "Come on, it's fun." Annie giggled, and picked up her own piece, before blowing into it. I took a deep breath and picked my own noodle up. A smile crept onto my face as the cheese splattered across Annie's face. She gasped, and picked another up, shooting the chesse between my eyes. I felt it drip down onto my hands.

And then started the cheese wars. It was messy, but not too much. Annie stopped everything right before Carl could scoop up his macaroni in his hand and toss it at me. They were so different, yet so compatable at the same time. Annie, she was obviously the glue in this relationship. Holding everything together so it wouldn't fall apart. And Carl, he was the fun. Annie was fun, too, but Carl wasn't afraid to make things easier, or start up a really stupid, funny game. "Hey," Annie said, pointing a finger at Carl when he tried flicking some of his left over cheese at her. He just gave her a cheeky smile before standing and collecting the plates.

"Go ahead and watch some TV," Annie said to me. "We'll clean up."

"Are you sure?" I asked, and she nodded. I left it at that and walked over to the living room again. _The Nanny_ was now playing. Fran and Mr. Sheffiled were leaning over a table, lips locking feverously. I blushed and looked away, although I had seen worse at parties I had attended before. It just seemed..._ taboo_ in Annie and Carl's house. I was still in touch with my friends from my old life, but I hadn't talked to them in a while. The bastards probably think I'm ditching them. That's good, because with Annie and Carl, they want me to leave my past behind. To start on a new slate. But… that wasn't me. None of this truly was. The rich, perfect family. The giggles and laughs. I can't pretend to be something I'm not for forever.

I stood up, my legs wobbling and looked over towards the kitchen. It was empty.

I stepped into it, peering quietly out into the backyard, and finally the soulful music caressed my eardrums. It was Stevie Wonder's _Isn't She Lovely_. Carl was guiding Annie out onto the terrace, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist and pulling her close. They swaywed, Annie giggling and pressing her face against Carl's chest. Carl sung softly to the music, a love-strucken grin on his face. "_Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful_?" It was almost to good to be true. Me being here would just make their lives harder. I peeled off the window and quickly, but quietly, shuffled upstairs and grabed my small suitcases. I didn't have many clothes, just a bit to last me.

I had to leave… This wasn't the first time I tried to escape. There was a time, between my second home and third home, where I was taken into a house owned by Frank Jenkins and his wife, Mary. They were both overweight, seeming to weigh the house down wheever they walked through. They, along with their house, smelled of old mildew and cow piss. And not only that, but Frank seemed to eye me off a lot. I didn't think twice before running out of the hosue that night, leaving their hefty snores behind. The police found me three days later, folded up tightly behind a dumpster, but I didn't go back to that house. Turns out they didn't start looking for me, but the lady from social services came by to do a check-up, and saw that I was gone.

But this was different. I liked Annie and Carl. But I was too much for them to handle. They don't deserve a burde, like me to hold them down. They deserve the happy baby, and the happy family.

I wasn't apart of it. I didn't belong.

They were still happily dancing on the terrace, kisisng every once in a while, when I slipped out. I first started walking cooly down the gray cobblestone pathway, but then loud, deafening barking jerked me to a stop. And then, barrling straight towards me, was a German Shepard, it's ears pulled back and teeth barred. Slobber flew everywhere, and it would have landed on me if I didn't turn and bolt off. I hadn't ran in a long time though. Apparently running all those miles in PE, _was_ helpful. I tripped over my feet, and groaned as my face pressed against the wet, dewy grass. Something cold and wet grazed the back of my leg, and a bark followed, and then a shout, and then everything else seemed mixed up. Feet fell across the lawn, pounding towards me. My name was being called, and the barks had ceased.

"Gabriella?" Annie crouched down beside me. I lifted my head, swallowing, when I saw her concerned face. "Nothing's broken," I promised softly. Carl helped me stand and I brushed myself off.

"Sorry about that," a voice cut in, and I was suddenly aware that it wasn't just the three of us anymore, but another guy. Or, kid. He looked about my age. He was holding the dog back by his neck, his bicep flexing as he did so. My lips parted, unsure of what to say. "He gets rowdy like that around new people. I swear he was going to kill Mrs. Gorgon earlier."

Carl laughed. "Mikey is just playful. Gabriella, this is Troy."

"Uh, nice to meet you. Thanks," I said. Troy nodded and stood up once he figured Mikey was tame enough. Annie ran a hand through her hair. "Hey, how about we go back inside?" I looked at my bags, laid out, forgotten on the path, and knew that they saw it too. My heart plummented, feeling guiltier than ever. Annie and Carl turned and I followed them, but not before looking back at Troy. He was watching after me as well, as if trying to figure me out. I picked up my bags, and turned my head back around.

"I'm… gogint o sleep," I said when I closed the door behind me. Annie turned and nodded. "Yeah, you have a busy day tomorrow. School starts the day after it, so we have exactly a day to pick clothes out, and more supplies." I nodded and started to turn away, but she called out to me. "Remember what I said, Gabriella. You can come to us, anytime, if you need a person to talk to. It's not easy… going through all of that stuff alone."

"Nothing ever is," I said slowly, tossing the words around until I found the right form. "when you're alone."

And I just left it at that, before turning and walking up the steps.

I could feel them staring at me, as I retreated. Probably think about how they're gonna live with me. What they'll have to do. Sacrafices. Well, if they abandon me, it certainly won't be the first.

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Chapter two! Remember to review, feedback will make my day.

Thanks!-Brittany


	3. Shopping

Belong

Gabriella Montez has been abandoned by her mother, and after going through many homes, she's finally settled on one, the absolute perfect family, put into a new world, one she's never experienced, full of love and she's stuck between moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love. Will her new parents, and the sweet boy next door, finally reach out, and show her that she belongs? Rated M for future chapters.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but original characters. And I give credit to Sarah Dessen on her book ****_Lock and Key_**** for inspiring me to write this story.**

* * *

Chapter Three

Shopping

Bacon.

It was the first thing I thought of when I awoke. My nose tingled and my mouth watered. I threw my legs over the side of my bed, digging my toes into the carpet, and standing. I staggered down the steps, still a little weary from sleep, but not deprived. The bed had to be made of tufts of clouds. It was just _that_ soft. Sure beats the springy, rusty bed I used to lay on.

When I entered the kitchen, Annie was by the stove, dressed casually in a loose, red blouse and dark, skin-tight jeans. She gained an extra few heights by the suede boots pulled onto her legs. I had to admit, she had a great fashion sense, for a lwayer. But she was still 26, after all.

"Ah, Gabs," Carl said, grinning up at me from the kitchen table. He had on a white tee, and Nike basketball shorts. Little sweat beads trickled from his matted hair, the telling sign that he had gone running. "Mind if I call you that?" I shrugged and sat down. "Okay, good. Look at _this_." He pushed his laptop over to me, scooting closer. On the sceeen, glaring back at me, was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. It was a creature, that looked like a dragon, a lion, and a Antelope mixed together to make this ugly―_thing_―perched ontop of a rock. Lighting zipped around it, and clouds stained the sky like big, purple burises. I raised an eyebrow and sat back. "So," I said. "what is it?"

Annie snorted and swiped two pieces of toast from the toaster. "That's _exactly_ what I said."

Carl rolled his eyes and brought his laptop back over in front of him. "Guys, come on. Seriously? You don't know this stuff?" Annie and I didn't answer. "This is a _Cimmerian_," he finally said, after a long, pregnant pause. "They're one of the best mythical creatures ever."

"Exactly," Annie said, coming over and placing a plate in front of me. Bacon, eggs, toast, oh my. "It's mythical, meaning _not real_. Why are you suddenly obsessing over this?"

"Thanks," I said, and she nodded. Carl rolled his eyes, again. "I'm not obsessing over it. I'm just taking an immense liking over it. You _cannot_ tell me it isn't cool."

"It isn't cool," Annie said, smirking. She retrieved Carl's plate and dropped it in front of him. Carl sighed. "It's good, you know, to take interest into other things. I thought this was cool."

"I know, honey," Annie said softly, bending to kiss his cheek. "It is, I'm just messing with you." And then the doorbell rung. Carl shot up, already out the kitchen. "I'll get it." Annie looked at me and shook her head. She nodded towards her husband, a smile spread wide on her pretty face. "He's usually always like this. Showing me these cool, exciting things he found."

"It does seem pretty cool," I said, peeking over to see the picture again. Annie nodded. "Eat up, Gabs. We're going shopping after this."

"I don't―"

"Yes," she said, cutting me off, and pointing the spatuala at me. "you do. End of discussion. You should be happy; it's a girl's dream to go shopping and get anything she wants. Wouldn't you like that?" She nudged my shoulder with her fist. I shrugged. "Maybe I'm not like other girls. I'm different."

"Diversity is the key to life," a new voice said, although I remembered it from last night. Troy strolled in behind Carl, his giant of a dog, Mikey, walking behind him, panting and wagging his tail. "Without it, everything would be boring." He smiled at me, charmingly. I looked down at my food, then speared through the eggs with my knife. Heat rushed to my face. "Hey, Troy," Annie said, stepping up to hug him. "I made breakfast, are you up for it?"

"Yeah, just no bacon," he said. "My dad would kill me if hefound out."

"That's why he won't," Carl said, dangling a strip in front of Troy's face. Troy grabbed it, making a face, and Carl laughed. "He's a total health freak," Carl explained to me. "Runs three miles―"

"You ran with me," Troy defended.

"―in the morning and six in the afternoon."

"That's _suicide_," Annie said, whistling.

"Dedication," Troy corrected her.

"_Nine_ miles?" I said, astonished. A week, I get. You have to stay in shape. But a day? That's 63 miles a week. Troy shrugged. "It was painful in the beginning, but it's like a second nature to me now."

"He ran 15 minutes and 23 seconds in the 5k run. That's 3.1 miles, and diving that up, he runs about a mile every 5 minutes," Carl said. "And I ran 17 minutes and 45 seconds. Annie did 20 minutes and 5 seconds."

"I'm sure that's the other way around,' Annie said, poking Carl. Carl shook his head. "Fine. Yeah, whatever. But still, Troy is fast, Gabs. You _have_ to see him run." I shrugged, pushing the fork full of eggs into my mouth. As I bowed my head, Inoticed Mikey next to me. His eyes were wide, begging, and a few whimperes sounded off of him. I pulled a face. _Oh, now he wants to be calm, after he tried to kill me yesterday_, I thought snidely.

I quickly scarfed down the rest of my food as everyone talked around me. Along with being athletic, Troy was mighty in the academic department. He had A's in all his classes, except for art, which was a stumpy C-.

This, of course, made me feel even more ridiculous as I thiught about my own grades. The only thing I was passing was art, with a whopping A+. But that doesn't really count much to my academic structure, does it? Thought so.

After enduring another long fifteen minutes of talking (or, on my account, sitting quietly, listening, and nodding occasionally along), I walked up the stairs two at a time and changed out of my big tee and flamal pajama shorts. My clothes were horrible. I observed this as I stood in front of my suitcase, mostly empty except for a few shirts and pants messily thrown in. At my old home, with Penny and Mark Figgins, they had to be the cheapest people I've ever met. They brought me only two outfits the dreadful nine months I've been there; one for my birthday and one for Christmas, which was surprisingly the first Christmas I've ever celebrated. For other homes, the day either passed, horribly slow, or my guardians had ran off to have fun without me.

My mother never celebrated Christmas as well. I remember when I was ten and came jumping down the worn steps of our fourth home, holding my bear tightly to my chest. My mother, startlingly, spared me a glance, _hmph'd_, and then lit her bowl of pot again and begam smoking it. The smoke and smell (an ungodly combination), made my eyes water and nose itch. I walked pessimistically upstairs, shifting into the shadows as if I were one myself, as if I were nonexistant.

In my mother's eyes, I was.

"Gabriella?" Annie pushed open the door, bumping me from my thoughts, and I quickly pulled on an itchy wool sweater I got last year. It clung hotly to my skin, and I could already feel the small beads of sweat tingle against my forehead. I shoved my legs into some jeans just as Annie popped her head around the edge of my door. "Are you ready?"

"Uh, yeah," I said, and then pushed my feet into some shoes. I looked up and headed towards Annie, who was looking at ne warily. Compared to her, I might as well of been trash. My pants fit snug around my waist (I've been a size three for most of my life), but they rose distastefully, and far, above my shoes, which were, by the way, one of the two pairs of shoes I owned; converse. The soles were broken off a bit, the thread of it tearing, and they were dirty from constant abuse. "Yup," Annie said softly. "You'll _definitely_ need some new clothes." She eyed my shirt, and I became self-conscience, wrapping my arms around my torso. "Can you _breathe_?"

"I'm used to it," I say, and come to think of it, the shirt did seem to cut off a bit of my curculation, around my arms. I walked out of the room and Annie's quiet feet fell insto step behind me. "Would you like to wear one of my shirts?"

"No thanks. I'm fine," I sniffled, and wiped my nose.

"Are you sure? I have a lot that I'm really not wear―"

"No, I said I'm _fine_," I snapped, turning my head around to glare at her. I'm surprised at how sharp my voice sounded. She was just tyring to be _nice_. Maybe it was just that a nice, kind attitude was extraneous to me. I'm used to the rue, senseless bitches who smack their gum at me and laugh, as if I'm not there at all, but not the nice, pretty girls like Annie. Myabe when you get out of high school, you drop out of that mean girl phase.

I can hardly see that happening to Kimmy Greene, the school slut, cheerleader, and bitch from two years ago at Chesterfield High. I remember once, when we were changing in the girl's locker room for gym. After ditching a cigarette in the toilet, I rushed to the locker room, and was disappointed to see that all the changing rooms were taken.

I could have waited to change until the girl's left, but then I'd get busted by Coch Cindy, who, to me at that time, seemed more like a guy than a woman. She wasn't afraid to wrap her chubby fingers around someone's neck, or spit in their face. So I took a deep breath, and started to take my clothing off. I was trying to be quick, pushing the shorts up my legs, but ostensibly, I wasn't quick enough. Kim's taunting laughed echoed off the tiled walls.

"Oh my _God_," she said, looking directly at me with those slitted, serpent green eyes. "Did you, like, get that bra from your grandma?" I rolled my eyes, and pulled the shirt over my head. Across my chest read in big, bold letters: **GO CHESTERFILED LIONS. **"Or did you take another trip to the good will house?"

I just ignored her as I tied my shoes, and then started walking out. But of course, being the snobby bitch she was, Kim stuck her leg out, and next thing I knew, I was sprawled out over the floor. And it wasn't just her voice throwing cruel insults at me, but girl's on the sides threw in their own snide remarks. "Slut "Pig" "Spaz" "Bitch" "Druggie", and the list went on. I took a deep breath, willing myself not to cry. It showed that I was weak, and I _certainly_ wasn't. I grabbed a bench and hoisted myself up, and then pretended to limp towards Coach.

"I fell this morning," I explained, wobbling for effect. "I don't think I can do gym today. May I go to the nurse?"

Coach's hard eyes stared at me for a long time, and the air pulsed quickly in my ears. Then, finally, she nodded. "Fine, Montez. Go ahead. But only this time."

I let out a breath. "Okay. Thanks, Coach." Then I limped off, prentending to almost fall once or twice. But as soon as I was sure she couldn't see me anymore, I let my act go and stalked out of the school, towards the back. I huddled into a ball under a tree, my knees pulled tightly to my chest, and smoked until the shrill _ring_ of the bell forced me to stand and walk back to class.

Annie was pretty, smart, but absolutely _nothing _like those girls.

"Okay," Annie said, and I could see the hurt briefly flash in her eyes. I opened my mouth to say sorry, but nothing came out. I just took a deep breath, before walking fully down the stairs and out the door.

* * *

"You _cannot_ say this is cute," Annie gushed, holding up one of those cute cashmere sweaters from . It was a light gray, a little puffy at the sleeves, and waist. Already we've been to all the expensive namebrand stores, and our hands were full of clothes. They were mostly picked out by Annie, but I picked out a leather jacket and a few tight, white tees from H&M.

I shrugged, watching Annie pick through clothing with half-lidded eyes. She rolled her eyes and set it down. "Well, fine. I'm buying it anyway. Oh, how about these jeans? Totally chic, right?"

I stared at her blankly. "Totally _what_?"

She sighed. "Really, Gabs, has your past mothers_ ever_ taken you shopping?" I picked at a hanging thread on my shirt. It was restraining stubbornly, refusing to come off. "No, not really."

Annie's face was soft, angelic like as she stared at me. "Well, now you have me," she said, placing a hand over mine, and I stopped fiddling with the thread. A tiny smile popped onto my face.

"Now," she said. "Let's go check out the shoe section."

"Alright," I said, scooping up our bags and following after Annie.

"I'll go look for some cute botts while you try those pants and sweater on, okay?" I nodded and walked off to the changing room. Hushed whispering, and the clincking of hangers sounded refreshing. Just as I was about to close myself in a stall, the fierce whisper met my ears. "_No freaking way_."

I turned and sighed when I saw Rina Evans, with her posse, Taylor Pope and Cassadee Lions. They had been at the school Ii just recently left, and just like Kimmy, were total bitches. "Gabriella Montez," Rina said, her voice high and snake-like. "It's really surprising to see you here. Just so you know, this store has high security systems, and you won't get away with stealing."

"I'm not stealing _anything_," I snapped, and wondered briefly why I didn't walk into a stall already. Rina smirked. "Oh? Then enlighten me, why are you here?"

I leaned back against the stall. It cooled the hot skin on my neck. "It's a free country. I'm not allowed to be, or something?"

"It's just, this store may be a little too high class for you, sweetie." Her lips curled furiously, obviously not liking what I was saying.

"_Please_," I said, rolling my eyes. "The prices are not _that_ high."

"That sweater is eighty dollars," Rina sneered. "And the pants are fifty. One hundred thirty dollars, and we're not playing a game of Monopoly here."

"I can pay for it. Now, if you excuse me." I started opening the stall door, but Rina thrusted a hand out, snapping it closed again. She stepped closer to me, and I could faintly smell her Chanel No. 5 perfume wafting in the air. My fingers curled, nails biting into my skin. "Listen here, _bitch_―"

"Gabriella?" Annie appeared by the archway, a pair of boots gripped in her hands. Rina stopped talking and looked at her, then back at me, and then she did this twice more slowly, letting it all sink in. Annie smiled. "I know you want to socialize with your friends, but we have to go soon, okay?"

"Okay, I'm sorry," I said, not even bothering to correct her. I opened the door again, this time without Rina stopping me, and tried on the outfit. I laughed, softly, out loud when I heard the angry mumbled of Rina and her posse as they scuttled out.

Good ridden, bitches.

* * *

So, this was kind of the chapter to show how Gabriella's and Annie's relationship will mold. Again, I know these chapters are short, and I'm sorry. But still, I hope you guys liked it :) And it would make my real crappy night less crappy if you guys reviewed, of what you thought, or even if you just loved or liked it ^.^

Thanks!-Brittany


	4. Meet

Belong

Gabriella Montez has been abandoned by her mother, and after going through many homes, she's finally settled on one, the absolute perfect family, put into a new world, one she's never experienced, full of love and she's stuck between moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love. Will her new parents, and the sweet boy next door, finally reach out, and show her that she belongs? Rated M for future chapters.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but original characters. And I give credit to Sarah Dessen on her book ****_Lock and Key_**** for inspiring me to write this story.**

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! Just so you guys know, no Annie is not Gabriella long lost sister or anything... she and Gabriella aren't related in any way ^.^ Enjoy. **

* * *

Chapter Four

Meeting

"So," Annie said, letting out a breath as she finally pulled off. "We're those your friends? Back there in the mall?"

"Nah," I said, waving my head. "Just some girls… from my old school."

"Oh," she said, her chirpy voice deflating a bit. She probably would feel more secure and reassured if she knew I had friends. Which I did. I wasn't a _complete_ loner. "But, I do have some. Friends, I mean."

"Well, maybe you can invite them over one day?" Annie said. I cringed, and almost shook my head. These were my friends from the street, and it would not be a good idea to let them step into Annie's pristine house. When I didn't say anything for a few moment, Annie spoke again. "So, after we signed the papers and everything, I called my family, and Carl's family, and they all said they wanted to meet you." My stomach flipped, and I had to use all my willpower not to groan. I shuffled around in my seat, cringing as my shirt continued to press into my skin. I never met any of my past household's families. Except for a grumpy aunt or two. I wonder if their families are as nice as them.

"Okay," I said, my voice shaky. Annie patted my leg as we eased into a stop at a red light. "Don't worry, they won't bite. They're really excited to meet you."

The rest of the ride was fairly quiet, with the exception of the radio, P!nk's _Blow Me (One Last Kiss) _loud and beguiling. And as I observed Annie more and more, I noticed she was still like a teenager. Bubbly, exciting, still a size zero. She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel, first humming softly, and then loudly, and then she started belting out the lyrics. _"Eyes on fire, eyes on fire, and they burn from all the tears! I've been crying, I've been crying, I've been dying over you! Tie a knot in the rope_―come one Gabs, sing with me! ―_But there's nothing to grasp, so I let go_!" I eyed Annie wearily, and shook my head. Annie rolled her eyes. "Please? Come _on_, I always used to _love_ singing along to the radio when I was your age!"

I settled back and took a deep breath, and then started to sing along with Annie, my voice softer than hers is, but still noticeable nonetheless. Annie's smile was bright and warm when she looked at me. "_I think I finally had enough, I think I maybe think too much! I think this might be it for us_!" Her body jerked around, and her hands fell off the steering wheel a few times as she pumped them in the air and I wondered briefly if we were going to crash. But we didn't, it seems like Annie does this all the time.

"_Blow me one last kiss_!" Annie blew a kiss, as we stopped at a red light, to an elderly woman in a car beside us. Her eyes widened, confused, and startled. I laughed with Annie, and it was real. All of this was. Maybe, just maybe, things would get better. Annie held her hand up to her ear, in a phone figure, before driving off when the light turned green.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" Annie called out in an _I Love Lucy_ manner. She dropped the bags she was holding on the couch, and I did as well, before we walked into the kitchen. It was empty, all except for Mikey who was curled into a ball in the corner, sleeping. He snored, a loud, disturbing nose that sounded like his nasal passages were clogged. Annie pushed open the back door, and there was Carl, Troy and a few other guys hanging out by the basketball court. Annie gasped dramatically as she stepped out. "I _cannot_ believe you two had a party without me."

"This is one lame ass party, then," one of the guys said, finishing the last of his Bud Light before throwing it away. Annie rolled her eyes and looked at me. "Gabs, this is Chad," she said, pointing to the guy who just spoke. "Troy's friend. And Darren, Carl's friend." The two looked similar, both with dark skin, strong jaws, and builds. The only difference is that Darren 's hair was short, curly and soft-looking, and his skin lighter than Chad's. Chad's hair was curly as well, though puffed up into an afro.

"Hey," Chad said, grinning. "Troy, man, you didn't say she was _hot_." My eyebrows rose.

"Hey, none of that," Carl said, kicking Chad's leg. Chad yelped, his hand shooting down to the spot. Darren laughed. "Hey, Gabriella. Man, Carl and Annie talked about you _non-stop_ before you came. They were so excited."

Annie smiled. "Well, can you really blame us?"

"So, are we leaving now?"

"Yeah, let us just go put this stuff in Gabriella's closet. I'm glad to say we spent about eight hundred today."

"Damn, Gabriella, Merry Christmas," Chad said. "When is it my turn, Annie?" Annie just shook her head and smiled, before turning and heading back towards the house. I walked off after her, looking back only once more. Troy was starring after me, again, and I felt my back tingle. I turned back around and caught up with Annie.

"Your closet is big," she explained, as we shuffled up the steps, our hands full of bags. "So I think all of this stuff will fit."

"Seems unlikely," I said. The bags were practically weighing me down. "Do you want to change first, before we start?" she asked, holding up a bag as we walked into my room. I nodded, took it, and Annie left. It was the outfit from . Rina's face flashed in my mind. I sighed and pulled it on, slowly. When I finished, I stepped in front of my mirror, examining it. The outfit seemed to fit even more perfectly than it did in the changing rooms. The pants hugged my legs and the sweater was warm and soft against my skin. Even the boots felt good, and every time I walked, they seemed to caresses my toes.

I opened the door for Annie and she stepped in, setting the bags down with a loud grunt on my floor. She grinned at me. "Well, don't you look nice? How does it feel?"

I shrugged. "Really good. Thanks, Annie." She shrugged and wiped extra tresses of hair from her face, and then started pulling out outfits. "You're welcome, sweetie." I mimicked her, slipping them of hangers and folding some. We still had a lot more to do when there was a knock on my bedroom door. Troy came in, hands in his pockets, as he stared at us coolly. "Hey," he said.

"Tell Darren unless he wears a size three, he _does not_ get anything," Annie said. Troy laughed. "No, Darren didn't tell me to come up. Carl did, he said he wanted to talk to you."

"Oh," she sighed. "Okay. Gabs, I'll be right back. There are some more hangers in that bag if you need some." I nodded and Annie stood, walking out, but Troy didn't follow. My fingers shook as I clipped and unclipped the hangers, slipped and took them off. Something about Troy Bolton made my skin crawl, in a good way though. It's like when I was in ninth grade, and had my first girl crush. Every time he was around, I had the urge to hide, because maybe he would see that I wasn't good enough for him. Turns out he was just as messed up as I was, though.

"Want any help?" he asked, stepping into the room further. I shrugged. "No, I'm fine. This is a bunch of… girl stuff anyway." I blushed furiously as I thought of the sexy lace underwear and bra's Annie had bought me from Victoria's Secret. Troy chuckled and crouched down, taking stuff out of the bags anyway. "I have a sister; I know what bra's and stuff look like," he said.

I raised an eyebrow, looking at him skeptically. "Are you _sure_ it's just from your sister?"

Troy laughed, and his eyes were bright. "Well, maybe from a few girlfriends." He pulled out a bra from a VS bag, the words _Cutie Pie_ written dozens of times across the cups. I gasped, lunging forwards and snatching it away, my face hot. "That's cute," he laughed, searching through the bag some more. I took it all together, my face scrunched up as I stared at him. "God, you're such a pervert."

He grinned at me and started putting some more clothes away. "So, where are you from?"

"Different places," I said. "When I was with my biological mother, we traveled a lot, and then stopped in Chicago. And then I went through about three foster homes before coming here."

"That's rough," he said, shaking his head. "What happened to your mom?"

"On my thirteenth birthday, she got up and left. Then the landlord came and found me, and sent me to social services." I sighed, taking out another shirt and folding it neatly. "I haven't seen her since…" Then I laughed, the sound coming out dry and cracked. "Hell, I don't even know if she's _alive_." I felt a pang in my chest.

"That sucks," Troy said. There was a quiet pause, the only sound being the rustling of bags and clothing. Troy cleared his throat. "Carl said you're going to East High."

"Where's that at?"

"Just a few blocks from here.. Me and Chad go there. It's a nice school."

"That's a change," I said. "Usually all the schools my parents put me in are the complete opposite."

"Well, welcome to the other side of town," Troy said. "Is that the last of it?" He crumpled the bags up, and I nodded. The closet was no full, the shoes neatly lined up at the bottom, the pants folded neatly on hangers and shirts hanging loosely. It was kind of a surreal thing that I was here. I mean, Annie and Carl could have picked any kid, a baby, instead of me. I'd be gone in two years anyway, and really, what fun is it to have a child that's older?

"A penny for your thoughts?" Troy said, flicking his head to the side to rid the hair from in front of his eyes. I shook my head and smiled. "I'm not thinking anything."

Troy shook his head, not believing me. "Come on, what is it?" He nudged my knee. "I won't be offended if it's about me." I opened my mouth, ready to say something back, but Annie came bustling in through the door, shaking her head. "Oh, good, you guys are done. Thanks, Troy." He nodded, and stood. "Come on, the family is anxious."

"They're here?" I asked. Annie shook her head. "I was just on the phone with my mom, they're at home and they made a big dinner." I then looked at the clock and noticed that it was past six o 'clock. We were out longer than I thought. Annie patted my back and smiled. And I then noticed just the tiniest of dimples pressing against her cheeks. "Don't worry, Gabs. I promise they won't bite."

We hurried out, Troy riding with Darren, Chad and Carl, and me and Annie riding solo, in their other car. It was a silver Toyota Camry. Again Annie clicked on the radio, and Titanium was flamboyant and upbeat, blasting away at my ears. Annie kicked back her chair, practically yelling out the lyrics now. I smiled and leaned back in my seat, my eyes falling shut. The lyrics swirled around in my head, soothing my mind and pacifying the horrible thoughts.

_I'm bullet proof…_

_Nothing to lose… _

_I am titanium! _

We turned into another gated community. The houses were larger though, palm trees galore, and land stretched out wide. This was paradise. Kids played out on the lawns, riding their bikes around the smooth pavement, and owners walking their genteel dogs. Annie honked the horn and waved across the street at an elderly couple, swinging on their patio. They waved back, smiling toothlessly. I wondered if that was her parents, but that thought was shot down as we stopped in front of a large house, seeming to tower over everyone else's. The boys were already there, jumping out the car and running towards the house. It looked even better than Annie and Carl's. It was very spacious Mediterranean-style home, and there was a warm feeling attached to it. The garden in front stood out, exotic, wild plants dancing in the wind.

Annie and I stepped out, and I realized then how nervous I was. My heart was thumping against my chest, threatening to jump out. We walked in, and my eyes bulged. We were hit with the formal living room as soon as we stepped in, with a sweeping staircase, and couches decorated in the most vintage fashion style. There was even a fireplace, burning under the TV. It wasn't just a nice room, though; there were just so many people. Kids, adults, teens. The kids ran through the house, laughing, playing, and toppling over. And the adults and teens were talking excitedly, acting as if there were so many things to say. And in a world as exciting as this, I'm not surprised.

"Slow pokes," Carl said, grabbing Annie and me into a hug. Annie laughed and pushed away, leaving Carl to hug me closer, crushing me into his grasp. "God, Carl, don't kill her before she can meet everyone," Annie said. Carl laughed and stepped back. "And look at you, nice outfit."

"Thanks," I said. "Annie picked it out."

"Oh, my God," a woman said, coming up next to Carl. She looked young, but still had to be around her fifties. Her hair grayed a bit on the ends, but the middle still lively with color and her face almost wrinkle free. "An, is this her?"

"Yeah, mom," Annie said softly. They looked a lot alike, the same nose, and bone structure. Annie's mother smiled at me. "I'm Carlinda, but you can call me Linda. My god, you two look the same age. How old are you?"

"Seventeen," I said, and started fiddling with my fingers. Annie shifted uncomfortable beside me. Linda nodded. "Well, come on. The rest of the family is excited to meet you." The whole greeting process took about twenty minutes. After ten, though, I gave up trying to remember people's names. But I didn't forget Annie's behavior. It became stranger and stranger as we went along, and as Linda cruised on with us. But every time Linda waltzed off in that fancy manner of hers, Annie relaxed, letting out calm breath and fixing her posture. My tongue itched, ready to ask her what was wrong, but Linda kept coming back and something told me that maybe it would be better discussed in private.

Finally, though, Linda walked off to make sure everything was fine. I sat on the couch next to Annie, and her sister Cassadee. Cassadee looked a lot like Annie as well, though with dark black hair, straight and thick. "Still no luck?" Cassadee asked, sipping more of her beer. Annie sighed and shook her head. "No. But, we have Gabriella."

"You're still trying, aren't you?" Emma, Annie's cousin, asked. Annie blushed and nodded. "Yeah, we are. The doctor said that we can reproduce anytime, we just have to keep trying."

"Hey." I jumped, startled, as Troy's hot breath skittered across my skin, into my ear. I turned, seeing him standing there, grinning. "Want to come outside? I can tell this conversation is making you uncomfortable." I looked back at Annie, who nodded and me, before standing and following after Troy. My palms were sweaty and red, from me fiddling and picking at them all day. I remember when I was twelve, and my mom brought up a special way to punish me when I did something bad. She poured salt on the floor, and made me stand there on my knees and hands for thirty minutes. My skin would sometimes split open, and would become an angry red. I could still feel the pain. Even days after, my skin would still be that color.

"I swear to _God,_ Chad!" a loud, shrill voice screamed. "Give me back my shoes!" Troy and I stepped out, and I saw Chad getting chased, his afro flapping around, by a girl. Her feet were bare, and her blond hair wet and stringy. A few other kids sat off on the sides, watching with amused eyes, and sipping their drinks. The girl picked up a rock and hitched it forward, effectively hitting Chad in the back. He staggered a bit, but kept going. "Stay strong, buddy!" one of the guys said, and the girl next to him giggled. Troy shook his head. "That," He pointed to the girl. "is Sharpay. She and Chad can never get along, but I think they're in a secret relationship." I nodded and he led me off to the other guys. "Hey, guys. This is Gabriella."

"Aw, man, living with Annie and Carl must be the best," one of the girl's said. She was pretty, with short, strawberry blond hair, and a heart-shaped face, with green eyes. She stuck her hand out, smiling. "I'm Morgan." Gabriella slipped her hand into Morgan's, her pal warm and inviting. Next to Morgan was Taylor. She was pretty as well―like everyone else―and was the only one without a beer. As she greeted Gabriella, her tawny eyes glittered with that sophisticated, polite glint. Then, there was Clay, who looked stoned. His eyes were drooping, but he still had a bit of life in his smile. His chin was stubbly, wrapping around his squared jaw, and his blue eyes were as sharp as Troy's.

Gabriella slipped between Morgan and Taylor, and Morgan looked at her, smiling big. "Okay, so…"

"So?" Gabriella repeated weakly, confused. Morgan rolled her eyes. "Anything up with you and Troy?"

"What? No, of course not. I just got here a day ago, and met him last night. I mean…"

"Please," Morgan said, rolling her eyes again. "It just takes a second to fall in love with Troy Bolton."

"That's so true," Taylor said, smoothing her skirt out. "Troy is charming."

"I'm sure he is, but there's nothing going on between us," I said, shaking my head. The thought of it was unreal. Me having the perfect life and perfect parents is already a lot to take in―but Troy as well? The girls were right; he _did_ have that certain charm that could make a girl fall in love with him.

Too bad I'm not her.

* * *

So, that's chapter four! Next chapter, the big family and the friends will leave, leaving just the parents, Annie and Carl, and Gabriella to have dinner together. And keep in mind the way Annie was acting around her mother... that'll be an important part in the story. Again, sorry this is a short chapter!


	5. Disappointment

Belong

Gabriella Montez has been abandoned by her mother, and after going through many homes, she's finally settled on one, the absolute perfect family, put into a new world, one she's never experienced, full of love and she's stuck between moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love. Will her new parents, and the sweet boy next door, finally reach out, and show her that she belongs? Rated M for future chapters.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but original characters. And I give credit to Sarah Dessen on her book ****_Lock and Key_**** for inspiring me to write this story.**

**A/N: Hope you enjoy! Thanks for the reviews guys :) It rly means a lot. **

* * *

Chapter Five

Disappointment

At around eight, everyone left, saying their goodbyes with loud, smacking kisses to the cheeks, bone-crushing hugs and friendly smiles. This left just me, Carl, Annie, and their parents. Carl's parents were tall people, and surprisingly young, just twenty years older than himself. Carl's mother had piercing blue eyes and high cheek bones. His dad was kind of scary looking, with that long beard and charcoal eyes. But he was full of laughter and smiles. It was a nice dinner, overall. You know, if you excluded the tense attitude between Annie and her mother, which still had me wondering.

"So," Linda said, folding her hands after placing her fork down. She lined it neatly up with her spoon and knife, which were laying perfectly on the small square of a napkin. "Gabriella. Tell us about yourself."

"Mom, she―" Annie said, but Linda shot her a sharp, twisting look, and Annie shut up. I blinked. Yikes. Then Linda looked back at me, and then suddenly everyone was looking at me as well. I picked up my wine, gulping down the rest of it. "I, um… what would you like to know?"

"Anything," Linda said, swiping her hand across the air as if a fly was buzzing in front of her. "How about school?"

My fingers were shaking, and became numb. "School?"

"Yes. You know, grades? Sports? Clubs?"

"Mom, Gabriella―"

"_Hush_, Annie," Linda snapped. She shook her head and sighed. "Continue, Gabriella. How are your grades? Annie's grades when she was your age, were _phenomenal_. She pushed her, and did her extra mile." I thought about my last report card. Failing in all classes. English was almost an exception though, with a diminutive C. I cleared my throat and sat up straight. "Well, I mean… my grades aren't―"

"Gabriella had a lot of stuff happening to her these past few years," Carl interjected, his sentences coming out fast in fear of being interrupted by Linda. "We're looking for tutors, and we know that Gabi will also run that extra mile to get on top." And with that Annie slapped a hand over her eyes, bowing her head slightly. Linda shook her head, not impressed at all. "Well, personal life shouldn't effect what happens in school. They're two different worlds."

"Mom, you do _not_ understand. Please don't try to," Annie said, her voice slightly muffled by her hand. Linda ignored this. "Whatever happened, it shouldn't interfere with her progress and drudgery at school." My face creased slight. Drudgery? It sounded like a disease. Or a drug. "Drop it," Annie said, her voice leveled.

"Yes, Linda, maybe you should," Don, Carl's dad, said gently. Linda fluffed up her hair, then shook her head, the curls flying every which way. "Fine. Where were you born, Gabriella?"

"Texas," I said, clenching and unclenching my fingers around my fork. "Houston. My mom traveled a lot."

"Oh, yes. What happened with your mom?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," I said, breathing evenly through my nose, but feeling my heart pick up speed, thumping against my chest.

"Nonsense, we're all family here. Talk."

"I don't really want―"

"Mom," Annie bristled, pleading. "Please."

"I'm just trying to get her talking. It's really not healthy. She wasn't even a part of our conversation while we were talking. This, in my opinion, is very rude." My eyes narrowed. What an inquisitive _bitch_. I said I didn't want to talk about it. And suddenly, I was beginning to understand why Annie wasn't too fond of her mother, and couldn't stand to be around her. Well, neither can I. And I _won't_, either. I leaned my weight back, pushing my chair out from under the table, and standing. Then Ii turned on my heel and started walking out of there, fast. "You're just going to let her go?" Linda asked incredulously, her voice slightly quiet now.

"_Mom_," Annie hissed. I could basically hear the steam dinging off in her ears. "She needs to get control. I've heard things about her, around town, and I don't like them. Frankly, I don't even trust her in my house." Well, good thing I'm leaving then. I shoved my arms angrily into my jacket sleeves.

"God, what is _wrong_ with you?" Annie spat. I jerked my hand upwards, zipping it up. A chair scraped against the floor. "I think that you should maybe give her back to social services. She doesn't belong here, Annie. Don't you guys understand that? She needs to go back."

"_No_." The voice was firm, vociferous. I recognized it, but then again it was foreign. It was Carl. I had never seen him mad, the few days I've known him, and it shook me a bit. "All that I am saying is…" Linda's voice cut off just as I swung the door shut. I walked quickly down the cobblestone pathway. Already I could see Carl and Annie shooting up, bolting to come get me, but I didn't want to see them. Not right now. I needed to think.

Linda was right. I _didn't_ belong here. I'm not sure I belonged anywhere right now.

My feet pounded against the pavement as I forced my way through the cold, mid-October weather. Who did that woman think she was? And to come off like that? I shook my head and pulled my hands from my pockets, pressing them to my eyes. This was, of course, a stupid thing to do, because I tripped over an abandoned bike, falling forward. I groaned, and felt a stabbing pain in my leg where the bike pressed against my flesh. "Fuck," I ground out, grinding my teeth together. My legs wobbly, I stood again, and staggered down the street. Through the blood pulsing through my ears and the drowsy whistle of the wind, I could hear Annie and Carl calling for me. I block out their calls and instead walk faster, almost into a run.

It wasn't until I got out of the community and to the city that I slowed, out of breath and exhausted. This night was a _disaster_.

I found a payphone, near public buses, which I would have taken if I had more money. But I only had two quarters. I rubbed them against each other before pushing them into the phone, and dialing a familiar number. She picked up on the third ring, her voice drowsy. "_Hello_?"

"God, Han, are you _sleeping_?" I asked. "This early?" Hanna Greene was my best friend. One my first day at Chesterfield, she welcomed me into her clan, showing me that there's other emotions than being depressed and sad all the time. And she had gotten me into smoking, and my uninhabited, wild partying I inhibited during that year. She had also taught me how to smoke pot. Sure, each were bad things, but that's how we bonded, and became as close as we were now. Hanna coughed. "_No, I'm just totally stoned. What's up, bitch? You ignore me for two weeks, and now all of a sudden you want to pop back up_?"

Her words slurred slightly, but I understood what she was saying. I rolled my eyes. "You know all this shit that's happening. It's not my fault."

"_It's not my fault_," Hanna mimicked, and then giggled. "_Stop, Jason. I'm talking to Gabs. Yes,_ her."

"Do you think you can pick me up?" I said. "And drop me off somewhere? I don't care where, just somewhere far."

"_It's fucked up on the other side of town, ain't it_?" she asked. Then she laughed, and I heard a loud rustle. "_Jason, dammit, put your dick back in your pants_!"

"Oh, God," I groaned. "You know what? Forget it, I'll walk somewhere."

"_I'm sorry, Gabs_," she said, sobering up slightly. "_But Jason is great, I can't just_―"

"I know, I know," I sighed. "Bye, Han. I'll talk to you later?"

"_Yeah, okay. Bye, Gabs. Love you_."

"Mhm." And I hung the phone up as well, leaning my back against it. I shivered as the cold metal struck my back. I leaned my head back, looking up at the stars, and shook my head. "What the hell happened to sister's before misters?"

When an old, drunk man grumbled at me to get lost, I started walking again. Just a few blocks deep, I could faintly here the pounding of drums, and the wicked sound of electric guitar, smashed together to make an exotic beat. I sighed and followed the rhythm, landing myself in front of _Remedies._ The club that will cure _any_ type of depression. Without a second thought, I slipped past the bouncers, slithering in like a shadow, and finding a seat at the bar. A band was playing on stage, their heads bobbing, their words harsh and garish, and their music deafening. It felt as if my eardrums were exploding.

"Hey there." I swiveled around in my chair, and saw a guy next to me, smoking a cigarette. I smiled and leaned back. "What's a girl like you doing sitting here all by yourself?"

"Just enjoying a view," I said. Of course I meant the cigarette. The guy looked like an awkward version on Tom Hanks. Long, stringy brown hair. A furry stubble (a huge turn off for me) and gray, lifeless eyes. His back hunched as he eyed me. But Tommy here thought I meant him. He smirked and leaned forward, as if we were doing a dance. His breath stung nose. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," I said, leaning forward as well. I slipped my hand up his arm, closing it around his fingers. My teeth gently sunk into my lower lip. "It is." And then I slipped the cigarette away from him, grinning widely. He shook his head, laughing. "So, I didn't catch your name." I held the cig up to my lips, wrapping them around it. The smoke made me cough. I hadn't had a drag for about two and a half weeks by now. I had to shift back into the idea of it. "That's because I didn't tell you," I countered, my eyes searching the crowd. I was suddenly disinterested.

Not like I was interested in the first place. Tommy laughed at that though. "Well, my name is Brian." I nodded, still not interested. I liked Tommy better.

"You know what else would look good in your mouth?" Brian-Tommy asked, after a short pause. I shrugged, and looked back at him, noticing then how close we were. His hand dropped on my thigh, gently kneading my flesh. I took a deep breath and pushed his hand away with my free hand, and then gave him my best smile. "No touching, Brian. How do you know I don't have a boyfriend?'

"He'll never know," Brian-Tommy said, leaning forward even more. His breath curled against my neck. And then suddenly I felt uncomfortable. I pushed at his chest, shaking my head. "Alright, party is over. I'm going."

"Wait, come one," he said, grabbing my arm as I stood. "Don't be a tease."

"I'm not being a tease," I said, pulling out of his grasp. "You simply just misunderstood my actions. I'm not interested."

"Don't be like that." He stood as well, this time grabbing both my arms. My face became hot, anger burning in me. I pressed the cig against his hand and Brian staggered back, yelping. A few heads turned, but I ignored him. Ii narrowed my eyes. "I said, I'm _not_ interested, asshole." And then I turned, leaving Brian to shake out the pain in his hand. I shook my head, sighed, and pushed my way out the back door. A few people were smoking pot, or drinking. Not really interested in seeing anymore boys tonight, I walked over to a group of girls, swaying as they became stoned. I sat down next to a pudgy girl with wild hair, a few piercings and a gloomy look. "Mind if I have some?' I asked. She shrugged, and closed her eyes. I took the stick from her, smoking it like a pro. The blood rushed in my veins, and I felt calm as I leaned my head back and let my worries fade away.

This, I decided, taking another drag is where I belong.

* * *

By my fifth stick and seventh beer―at least I think it was my seventh―, I could barely walk. I gripped the wall, running my hand over my face, and walking on wobbly legs back into the club. Everyone around me was blurred, and the music sounded distant, even though I was right near the stage. I stumbled into the bathroom, falling almost twice. Then, without thinking, I heaved everything I consumed tonight, even the Authentic Butter Chicken and corn muffins, into a sink. My head was pounding, and I could barely feel a thing, like I was floating on a cloud, drifting nowhere exactly.

Behind me, the door clicked open, and then there was another click, though different. Louder. I tried to turn around, but instead just rested my cheek against the rim of the sink, still happily floating on my cloud.

The sound of a zipper being pulled down, and the rough hands grasping my waist is what jerked me back to life. I turned my head, and groaned softly as Brian came into view. "God," I moaned. "Get… _away_. I told you that, didn't I?"

"Shh," he cooed, his voice nasty. He started tugging my pants down. I struggled, turning myself around and kicking my legs outwards. I got him, once in the balls. He backed off, groaning, and cupping his genitals. "You bitch," he swore. I pushed away from the sink and staggered to the door, tripping over my feet. Didn't this bastard take a hint? A _big_ one? I pounded my fist against the door after a failed attempt to find the lock. "Help!" I called out. The music suddenly became loud again, too loud. I rubbed my fingers over my dry eyes and blinked hard. Brian gathered his wits and grabbed me again.

This time I would have it. I elbowed him in the ribs, and then punched him square in the jaw. I unlocked the door, my fingers trembling, and flung myself into the public. Of course, as I did that, I was bound to bump into someone. And I did.

His arms caught me, a startled yelp screeching past his lips. "Gabriella?" I looked up and took a deep breath as Troy's face came into focus. "Shit. Come on, you look ready to pass out." And he helped me over to a booth, where I leaned against him. "What are you doing here?' I whispered.

He chuckled. "Ii should be asking you that. What happened at the dinner with Annie and Carl?"

"Linda... is a _bitch_," I said. "She's all, like, blah, blah, blah, I'm such a bitch n' stuff. I mean, she doesn't know a single fucking thing about me, and she says that stuff? She's…"

"A bitch?" Troy offered. I nodded. "Yeah. A total bitch. To Annie too."

"I have to agree," Troy said. "Here." He grabbed his water, unscrewing the top, and offered it to me. I took it, taking a few gulps, before setting it back down. "I'm going to take you home, okay?"

I waved my hand in the air. "Sure." And then he was helping me again, this time out to his car. I slumped into his passenger seat, and brought my legs up to my chest. Annie and Carl will freak. And maybe they'll see that Linda was right. Who were they to take in a crappy teen that got into too much trouble, and smoked pot?

Through the ride home Troy kept coaxing me to drink water, and stay awake. I did, surprisingly, and my head was starting to clear some more. The lights to the house were still on, and I could see a shadow pacing in front of a window. Annie? Carl?

This time I stood without Troy's help, but he grabbed my arms as he steered me to the front door. I knocked on it, twice, before it swung open to reveal Annie. Her eyes were wide, blood-shot and a little wet from tears that had dried up. "Oh, goodness," she breathed, stepping back to let me in. I calmed my heart as I followed her to the living room, where Carl sat. He was hunched over, head in hands. At this time, I looked at the clock and was shocked to see that it was nearly two AM. Was I really gone that long? "Thank you, Troy," Annie said. I dropped myself onto the couch, and looked at my shoes. I didn't want to look up and see Annie and Carl's face right now.

"No problem," Troy said. He patted my shoulder. "See you tomorrow, Gabriella." I just simply nodded, not even having the courage to mutter a small thank you. Annie led Troy to the door before coming back into the living room. She sat down next to Carl, and crossed her legs, and then uncrossed them, then crossed them again. She did this over and over again until she finally cleared her throat. "Gabriella, what you did―"

"Was _completely _stupid,' Carl said, his voice low. He looked up at me. "Do you know how worried we've been? How scared we were thinking that you could be on the ground, dead somewhere?"

"Carl," I said, my cracking. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? God, Gabriella, we just got you… and I'm not ready to lose you. Not―" He took a deep breath and bowed his head again. Annie sighed and looked at me with such disappointment, but she remained quiet. God, couldn't she have just yelled at me? Thrown me out? Why did she have to look at me like that? Disappointment was the worst kind of punishment. "I mean, you smell like drugs," Carl started up again. But he was looking down still. "Stinking of alcohol. Were you with some boy, too? Is that what happened? Did you call up one of you friends and sle―"

"Carl!" Annie snapped. "That's enough." My body shook and I placed my head in my hands. It took me a moment to realize that I was crying. The tears gushed down my face, feeling like lava. Carl stood up, forcefully, and walked up the stairs. Annie sighed. "Gabriella, Carl is just… he's very protective… something happened to him, when he was younger. He didn't mean what he said, he was just angry."

"No, but he's right," I said, my voice shaking. "I mean, I didn't… I didn't sleep with anyone, but I did, before." My head was pounding, and it felt as if there were a millions drills punching holes into my skull. Annie swallowed. "Come on to bed. Things will be better in the morning. I promise." And like Troy, she helped me stand, and wobble up the stairs. My body felt heavy as I fell into my bed, thinking about what Annie had said. What had happened to Carl?

* * *

And guesses? J Review please, tell em what you thought of this chapter ^.^

Thanks!-Brittany


	6. Promises

Belong

Gabriella Montez has been abandoned by her mother, and after going through many homes, she's finally settled on one, the absolute perfect family, put into a new world, one she's never experienced, full of love and she's stuck between moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love. Will her new parents, and the sweet boy next door, finally reach out, and show her that she belongs? Rated M for future chapters.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but original characters. And I give credit to Sarah Dessen on her book ****_Lock and Key_**** for inspiring me to write this story.**

**A/N: I'm sorry for the delay guys! **

**Pumkinking5 – Troy didn't know that Gabriella was there, he was just hanging out there :D Sorry I didn't elaborate on that.**

**And no right guesses so far. Keep guessing though. I'm sure I'll throw in hints of what happened to Carl, but it won't be revealed until thanks everyone for the reviews! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I did. Now, on with the story… **

* * *

Chapter Six

Promises

I was down the steps twenty minutes after I awoke. My hair was pulled sloppily back into a pony tail, and I was dressed in a plaid shirt Annie had gotten me, with black jeans and my new pair on converse sneakers. Annie nodded her approval as I slipped into a chair. "Nice outfit choice. Are you feeling well?"

"Just a mild headache," I answered quietly, and wondered where Carl was. Annie nodded and dropped a plate in front of me. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, and a thin piece of toast slathered in butter. I've been here for only several days, but I've learned to appreciate Annie's cooking. She was really made out for this Mom thing. "Good with hangovers, huh?" she asked, plopping down in the seat across from me. I shrugged and nibbled on a piece of toast. Annie sighed. "You know, Carl didn't mean anything with what he said last night. It's just…"

"Just what?" I asked, a little bit frustrated. Carl hardly knew me, yet he was fuming over this. "It's not like he knows me."

"Yes, but…" She shook her head. "Never mind. Eat up, or you'll be late for school, okay?" I looked at her, my eye leveled with hers, and I wanted to push the subject more. But just as soon as my lips began forming the words, they dropped dead on my tongue. I nodded and looked down, silently eating the rest of my meal.

"Okay, so, I just found a sna—" Carl walked into the kitchen, the backdoor swinging shut. He stopped short when he saw me. I felt something in my chest tighten and I looked down. Had I really messed up that bad? Was he _this_ mad at me? Carl cleared his throat and started throwing things onto his plate. "Yeah, well, anyway, I found a garter snake in the backyard." The legs on his chair scratched at the floor, screeching loudly. Annie sighed. "That's lovely. What did you do with it?"

"Well, see—" He shuffled around, twisting in his seat to reach for something. Annie and I watched carefully as he dug up something in his pocket. I cringed as he pulled out a small, green and white specked garter snake. Annie's eyes widened and a terrified shriek slipped past her lips. "God. Carl, put that thing _away_."

"It's cool, isn't it?" he asked, holding it out to her. Annie squirmed and shook her head. "No. Carl, I mean it, get that damn thing out of my house."

"A bit snappy, huh?" Carl teased, poking her stomach. Annie swatted his hand away. Then, suddenly disinterested, she looked at me. "Okay. So, Troy is going to drive you to school, every day. But eventually we'll take you to get a permit so you can start driving, too." I just nodded, processing this while I slowly chewed on my food. "East High offers a lot of tutoring after school, and I think you should be a part of that, too. Okay?" I chopped my eggs with my fork into little slivers of matter.

"Gabriella," Carl said. "Annie is talking to you." And suddenly that rebellious, bratty teenager part of my started creeping into my head. I ignored Carl, spearing my bacon this time, watching as the fork sunk into the piece of meat. I could basically feel the tension form in the room, building and building, until Carl cracked. He slammed his silverware on the table, causing a short, but efficient, quake. My head snapped towards him, followed by Annie's. "God dammit, you're just like―" He stopped, his voice catching on his tongue just like it did last night. And then his eyes became cloudy. He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead gathered himself and stood calmly. His footsteps were heavy as he walked outside.

Annie followed after him shortly, her expression worried and solemn. I leaned back in my chair, my appetite lost, and sighed. God. After five minutes, I became curious. I stood quietly and looked out the window, trying to be discreet. They were on the patio, Annie with her small, thin arms flailing around, wild, and yelling at Carl. He was so tall compared to Annie; it was like looking at father and daughter fight. Carl was doing the same, though mixed with his anger was a painful, sorrowed expression. Did he care that much? The guilt kicked at my stomach like a mule. I backed away from the window and slumped down in my chair. And just after I settled down, Annie was bustling in through the door again, her composure fixed and neutral.

I looked at her.

"God, you have just fifteen minutes until school starts. Let's go." She shoved her arms into a coat, and still managed to drink a whole cup of coffee. After cleaning my plate off, I mimicked her, sneaking looks into the backyard at times. Carl was sitting in a chair, looking out, thoughtful. I took a deep breath, pushing away the feeling of wanting to go out and confront him. Instead I turned to Annie. "Isn't Troy driving me?"

"Not today, but tomorrow. Okay? But no more questions, let's get out of here." I nodded gently, and followed after her.

The cool September air was cold and damp against my skin. I rubbed my hands together and pressed them to my cheeks, causing a chill to ripple through me. Annie looked at me. "You should go back and get a heavier jacket." I turn back to look at the house. I could see Carl, pacing in the living room, with his hands glued angrily to his waist. "No, that's alright," I said, turning back to Annie. "I'm sure I'll be fine." She stood there, looking at me for a small second, speculating, before turning and walking to the car. After unlocking it, we slipped in and Annie drove off.

"One thing you shouldn't be is a lawyer," she said, looking over at me with a brief smile. I clicked my seatbelt on. "Why?"

"It's painful. And stressing."

I shrugged. "I'm not smart enough for a lawyer, anyway."

"That's a lie," Annie said. "You just don't try hard enough. So, what do you want to be?"

"I'm not sure," I said. And I really wasn't. Just a few days ago, I was set on moving out when I'm eighteen and never going to college. Maybe work as a dancer, or wait on tables at a bar. But not now, I'd have to graduate high school and fall into college. I didn't want Annie and Carl to be even more disappointed in me. "I'm not really good at anything."

"Nonsense," Annie said, shaking her head. "Any hobbies?"

"No―" I paused. Yes, actually, I had a few. Drawing and I loved to sing. When I'm alone, I'd usually do both. I was eight when I discovered my passion for singing. I was sitting next to my mother, watching American Idol with her on our box set. There was a woman on the TV, singing a popular song I heard on the radio, and I just started singing along with it. My mother looked down at me, and a calm expression fell across her wrinkled, worn-out face. For a split second, as I looked back at her, I felt a deep comfort hug my shoulders. But then it disappeared when she looked back at the TV and said in her gruff voice, "If you want to do that, go to your fucking room. You're gonna break my damn ears." I stopped and she lit a cigarette. I listened to her for two reasons. One, because I didn't want to smell her smoking. And two, I wanted to keep singing.

And when I was fourteen, I picked art as an elective mainly because the other ones seemed horrible. Art was something I could bare. My art teacher, Miss Newman, was great. She'd let you be free, not cage you into one thing. My love for drawing was just as deep as my singing. During free period, I'd find myself sketching something or singing, or sometimes doing both.

"No?" Annie said, jerking me from my memories. "That can't be true."

"Well, um…" I cleared my throat. "No, it's not. I like to, um, draw and sing."

Annie stopped at a light and gave me a startled look. "Really? Oh, wow, you have to show me, Gabs. Come on, sing a bit for me. Without the radio; I couldn't hear you last time." My eyes fluttered and I sighed. No way could I sing in front of her. I'd make a complete fool of myself. "No," I said. Annie sighed. And her eyes, pretty and like living jewels, returned firmly to the road. The light changed, and she stomped on the gas petal.

I rolled my shoulders back and leaned my head against the seat. The air was silent for a while, ringing in my ears, until Annie finally spoke. Her voice was leveled, dripping a bit with emotion. "Gabriella. Carl and I, we're trying, okay? We really are. We're going to try and raise you into someone great because your mother isn't going to. But you have to try with us, okay? What you did last night, especially a night before your first day of school, was not school. And it won't happen again. Do I make myself clear?"

I clenched my eyes lids, and set my lips into a straight line. Annie drummed her fingers against the steering wheel. "Gabriella? I'm talking to you. Do I make myself clear?" Alicia Key's _Girl on Fire_ came onto the stereo, loud and empowering. I tapped my foot to the beat and let the lyrics swirl around my clouded mind. It drowned out Annie's voice.

"God dammit, Gabriella! Why are you making this so difficult?" Annie exclaimed. I opened my eyes and Annie's head jerked to look at me. I'm glad I opened my eyes, otherwise I would have missed the car barreling towards us, thrown off by Annie, who flew by a stop light. "Annie!" I shrieked, flapping my arm in a stupid and awkward attempt to stop the car. Annie somehow managed too though, stopping and swerving backwards. The other car whizzed by us and I exhaled lightly. Annie did too, leaning back and rubbing her temple. "Do you understand," she whispered. "how much you're hurting Carl?"

"No," I said. "No, I don't. I don't understand how he can care about me this much. How both of you can. I don't understand why you two have to be different, the year I turn eighteen, and I don't understand why you can't just be jackass guardians so I can run away without any trace of regret or remorse. So, no, Annie, I don't understand." I paused, just a heartbeat, before opening the door. "I'll walk."

"Gabriella." Annie popped open her door also and tumbled after me. "You don't even know the directions. Dammit, Gabriella, stop!" She was panting, and her voice became more urgent. "Why do you keep doing this? Why do you keeping running away, huh?"

"Because I don't belong here. I don't belong with you and carl in your perfect house or perfect family. I don't belong here with Troy and his dog. Okay? I just don't belong here, in this lifestyle."

"You keep saying that, but it's wrong."

I stopped, spinning on the balls of my feet to face her. Annie jerked, panting out cold air, as we stood face to face. "It's not wrong, okay? I don't belong here, and it was a stupid thing to bring me here. I'm going home."

"Home? You're there already, Gabriella. This is your home. Not with those other crappy people, and especially not your mom."

I shook my head and turned again, walking. "I'm not listening to this."

"She didn't care about you, Gabriella. I know why you're going back there. But do you really think she's there? She's not, and even if she was, what makes you think she would come back?"

I was near tears, and I hated that she was making me feel this way. Annie seemed to grow and extra pair of legs and caught up with me, grasping my arm in her slender fingers. I jerked from her grasp, glaring at her. "Stay the _fuck_ away from me!" All these thoughts about disappointing them is a bunch of shit. I hardly knew these people, and I wasn't going to let them rule me. Annie backed off, her face tired and weary. I swallowed an apology and marched off. Maybe she was wrong, and maybe my mother _was_ still there.

I walked a few blocks before I found a payphone. I patted my jean pockets and checked my book bag for a quarter, and eventually found one pushed to the corner of my bag. I slipped it into the slot and dialed Hanna's number. I hope she wasn't screwing some guy again, I was in desperate need of help right now.

Hannah picked up after the first ring. "_Hello, bitch. This is Hanna, how may I help you? I don't fuck over the phone, though_."

I couldn't help but snicker. "What if your parents were calling, Han?"

"_Oh, it's not like the bastards ever do. What's up, bitch_?"

"I'm in a crisis again. Think you can pick me up?"

"_Don't those fancy parents of yours make you go to school_?"

"Well, yeah, but I kind of ditched. Please, Han?"

"_Alright, alright. I'll come_." I told her where I was and hung up, ending the conversation with huge thanks. I leaned against the booth, checking my watch every five minutes. Finally, though, Hanna came strolling by in her burgundy station wagon. I was convinced it will break down in the near future, but a ride was a ride. She leaned across the seat and popped open the door, grinning. "Hey, bitch! I haven't seen you in ages. Oh, look, you don't look like a hobo anymore!"

"Shut up," I laughed, slipping down into her leathery seats. Hanna grinned and swerved away. "So, how's life going?"

"Better than before," I admitted, propping my feet up on her dashboard. "My foster parents are some rich bitches in a gated community."

"Shit, I would have stayed," Hanna shared. "Those Converses ain't fake? And those jeans are nice. Where she get them from?"

"I don't know. Forever 21?"

"Damn, I've never even stepped into that place, but I hear it's nice. You got the whole deal, huh? All you need is the cute boy next door and you're set."

I shifted. "Well.. actually…"

Han jerked forward, briefly looking at me. "Aw, shit, really? How hot is he?"

"Hot, but in a geeky kind of way without the glasses." Okay, so, I lied. Troy is really hot, much hotter than that. But Hanna didn't need to know that, and I didn't need to be reminded of Troy right now. "So, where to, girlie?"

"Got any space at your house?" I asked. I didn't want to go back to that house.. not yet, anyone. Besides, I hadn't been there in four years… what if someone else is living there?

"Are you in the mood for some good ole' booze and weed?"

I cracked my neck. "Oh, God, yes." Hanna laughed and amped up her speed. She fiddled with the cute little lip ring sticking out her bottom lip. It was a silver stud. Hanna had gotten it when she was thirteen, the start of her rebellious stage. Her navel was also pierced, and a tattoo sprouted out into wings between her shoulder blades. They were badass, and although I'd gotten my belly button pierced as well and a tattoo on my pelvic bone, I hadn't gone farther than that. "I'm thinking about getting my nose pierced," Hannah said. "Whaddaya think?"

"Perfect," I voiced.

It took Hanna a while to meet up with me, but only a few minutes to get to her house. Feeling gleeful and jolly, I clambered after Hanna. Her house stunk, and I was met with a cloudy haze when the door opened. A guy was laid on her couch, probably Jason, with a stick of weed trapped between his fingers. His eyes were watery, and his nose tinged red. I suddenly had an urge to roll my own and consume the drug. I was ready to let everything go. Last night wasn't enough, I needed more.

"Move your fucking feet," Hanna said, pushing Jason's legs off the couch. "Jase, this is my bitch Gabby, and Gabs this is my bastard Jason."

"Sup," he said drowsily, nodding his head. I nodded back at him and sunk down onto the couch next to Hanna. She was already rolling her joint. I decided to skip all of that trouble though and picked up a pipe. I lit it, and leaned back into the couch. I was content with this. I didn't need Carl, or Annie, or even Troy. They could all just go fuck themselves.

* * *

When I woke up, there was a crowd around me. It amazed me that I didn't wake up from the noise, but I was stoned. I could barely stand.

Hanna was still on the couch, but Jason wasn't. In fact, after looking around the living room, I saw him trapping a girl under his arms, sucking at her neck. Hanna watched him with a stoned look, sucking on a joint. "Mind if I crash here?" I rasped. She shrugged and blinked slowly. I stood and maneuvered around the rowdy kids. Hanna's room was occupied, but I wasn't having any of it. I picked up the broken lamp on her dresser and tossed it half-heartedly at the guy's naked ass. He grunted, and scampered off the girl, who was surprisingly passed out. He shoved his hairy legs into some pants and limped out the room. I shoved the girl off the bed and snuggled into it. The smell of puke and alcohol stung my nose, and once again I found myself drifting off.

* * *

"Gabriella."

I grunted. Someone was shaking my shoulder and poking my back. "Gabriella, wake your ass up. There's a girl here for you."

That woke me up. I opened my eyes, groaning as sunlight spilled into them. "Who?" I coughed, turning to look up at Hanna. She looked better than last night, but she was still bit wasted. "I dunno, but you better get up. I don't want any trouble, alright?" She nudged my side. I squirmed, but finally stood. I pushed open the curtains and groaned when I saw Annie's car. How the fuck did she find me? "Aw, hell," I groaned. "No. I don't want to go back."

"Well, you better. I told you, I ain't looking for any trouble." Some friend, huh? Oh, well. I walked out of her bedroom, and saw Annie and Carl by the front door. Annie looked uncomfortable and Carl was _pissed_. I'm glad Annie was the first to notice me. "Gabriella―"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Carl exploded, and even Annie looked stunned, and then worried. She grabbed Carl's bicep as Hanna came out of her room. Jason was strolling behind her. He was here? "Carl, calm down. I told you not to yell," Annie said calmly.

"Oh, I'm going to yell. This is the _second_ time! She ditched school to come to some whore's house, getting drunk and stoned _again_."

"Hey!" Hanna barked.

"Come on, Gabriella," Carl said. I set my jaw straight and shook my head. "No."

"Ga―"

"First of all, who the hell do you think you are? Okay, you're not my father, and you're hardly even my guardian. I can be here if I want."

"Actually, Gabriella, I am. I am your legal guardian, and that was set a while ago. I don't care if I have to carry you―you're coming home."

"That's not my home," I said, shaking. Why can't they understand that? I don't belong there. Jason stepped up. "Hey, man, maybe you and your lady should go. Before we call the police."

Carl's stare penetrated deep into Jason. "Listen, call them all you want, but know that I'll get you busted for exposing yourself and a house full of minors to alcohol and drugs." Jason blinked and backed up, holding his hands up as if Carl had just threatened him with a gun. I chewed on my bottom lip and sighed. "I'm not going, Carl."

He shook his head, chuckling. "Alright. Fine. Looks like I'll have to carry you." He was serious? I didn't have time to form a second thought before Carl was hauling me over his shoulder and out the house. I kicked the air. "Let me go!"

"Carl," Annie said quietly. "Carl, let her down." He opened the door and took quick strides to the car, all the while ignoring my struggles and exclamations. He dropped me into the back seat, closing the door instantly. I wanted to kick open the door and crawl out, but my head was spinning and I wanted to throw up. I slouched against the seat and swallowed the stickiness in my throat.

Carl and Annie fell into the car and Carl drove off. I pressed my fingers to my eyes and a sob painfully rippled through me. I cried pathetically in the back seat, hung over and drenched with sweat and the smell of booze, while Annie and Carl sat in the front.

We pulled up at their house only thirty minutes later. I followed after Annie and Carl, my head fuzzy and weird. When we got in the house, Annie looked over at me. "We were worried. We really were. You may not believe it, but you belong here, Gabriella. With us."

"Not with you guys. Rich, pretty, perfect and nice," I whispered hoarsely. I pressed a finger to my throat; it felt itchy and hot. "I don't belong anywhere."

"I wish you weren't so hard on yourself," Annie whispered. Carl just stood next to her, unmoving. "You don't think you're pretty?" I shook my head gently. Annie narrowed her eyes and grabbed my hands. She pulled me up the steps and into my room, directly in front of the mirror. I winced at my reflection. "This is who you don't want to be," Annie whispered. She picked up a brush and started to run it over the tangled nest on my head. Then she grabbed a tissue and dabbed at the smudges of mascara under my eyes, mixed with my tears.

"Beautiful," she said when she was done. I wrapped my arms around my thin stomach and examined myself closely. Yeah, I guess I was okay. But I stilled paled in comparison next to Annie.

"Promise us, Gabriella," she started. "Promise you won't do that again."

I clenched my eyes shut and took deep breaths. "Okay," I finally said. "I'll try."

Annie smiled and smoothed out my hair, then turned to Carl who stood as a shadow in the mirror. "Carl? I think―" Carl's face went rigid, and he turned, walking down the hallway and towards his and Annie's room. Annie went after him, distressed and I peeked out my door way. "Carl, you know you have to say it."

"I don't have to," he said. Their door shut, and their voices became muffled behind the wood. I leaned against the door jab and sighed. I was just making their lives worse.

* * *

I was stretched out on the couch, watching a rerun of American Idol, when the door bell rung. Carl and Annie were still upstairs, and I wondered if they were done fighting. I stood and trudged to the door, half awake, and pulled it open. Troy stood there with Mikey, arms crossed and void of a shirt. I stopped, teetering on my feet for a moment, and tried to keep my jaw from unhinging and plummeting to the ground. Troy smiled and wiped at a bead of sweat slithering down his face. "Uh… um, hey," I finally stammered.

"Hey," he said, "Missed you at school yesterday."

"Yeah, I had… things to take care of." I scratched the side of my bed, and wondered if I still stunk. Troy didn't smell much like daises, either. "So, is Carl home?"

"Yeah, he's upstairs with Annie." I stepped aside so Troy could come in.

"So," Troy said, as he sat down. Mikey, with his big self, jumped on the couch next to him, curling into a tight, furry ball. "You really gave everyone a scare. Especially Annie and Carl." He paused, licking his lips gently. "Carl's father died when he was nine. From alcohol poison. He's very worried about you, Gabriella… you have no idea. He doesn't want the same thing to happen to you."

"He barely knows me," I said, shaking my head. "I don't understand how he can…"

"Yeah, I guess you don't," he said, which confused me to no end. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Just then Carl came barreling down the steps, Annie following his steps. I stood up almost instantly. "Uh, Carl, can I talk to you?" I asked. He stopped to look at me for a small moment, before nodding. I gestured to the kitchen and then walked in, hearing his heavy footsteps behind me.

"Troy told me," I said, folding my arms across my stomach. Carl looked surprised. "Troy… told you? About what?"

"About your father," I prompted. "About how he died…"

He let out a breath. "Oh… yeah. My father."

"I didn't know and me going off… drinking two nights in a row must be horrible for you… But I'll change."

"Gabriella―" He sighed and shook his head, the thing he wanted to say dying on his lips. "Thank you." And then he was pulling me into a hug, rubbing my back and pressing his nose into my hair. "You're really strong, you know that?" he said. "Most people that go through what you did wouldn't be standing right now." I wanted to remind him that just an hour earlier I was lying flat on my face in Hanna's bed, not exactly standing strong. But I just nodded and stayed quiet, letting this moment pass as a marking point. A moment that will soon be passed on as a memory.

"Carl, I'm going to Party City," Annie said, peeking her head into the kitchen. She smiled when she saw us breaking from our embrace. "My sister's daughter's birthday is in a week," she explained to me. I nodded, and Annie leaned out of the door way. Troy replaced her, this time with a shirt covering his chiseled chest and no sweat dribbling down his face.

"Troy and I were going to the gym," Carl said. "Want to come?"

I shrugged. "Sure."

* * *

Chapter 6... Wow it's been a while since I've updated, huh? Life's been hectic. Review, please! Do you think it's the end of Carl's problems or is there something he's leaving out? And any thoughts on Gabriella? She's a bit confusing to me... sorry one second, rebellious the next, and then sorry again... Tell me what you thought on your reviews(:

Thanks!-Brittany


	7. Worries

Belong

Gabriella Montez has been abandoned by her mother, and after going through many homes, she's finally settled on one, the absolute perfect family, put into a new world, one she's never experienced, full of love and she's stuck between moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love. Will her new parents, and the sweet boy next door, finally reach out, and show her that she belongs? Rated M for future chapters.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but original characters. And I give credit to Sarah Dessen on her book ****_Lock and Key_**** for inspiring me to write this story.**

**A/N: I'm such a horrible updater, aren't I? I know. I had about 75% of this chapter completed before I finished the other 25%. I'm out of school until January, and I'll try to update as much as I can. **

**This chapter leans toward some Troyella fluff at the end - like some of you wanted. Hope you like it, and I apologize for any mistakes. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Seven

Worries

I watched in an expression similar to awe as Troy's muscles rippled and puckered as he lifted the weights. He was lifting 210, a whole 100 pounds more than me. I could barely carry my weight, much less twice the size of it. Carl laughed at my expression and nodded to a bench. "You can try if you want. It isn't hard if you start out small. Especially for you." He nudged my thin arms. I started to say no, but then thought against my better judgment and went with the flow. Carl helped me get seated, and as I wrapped my fingers around the thick bar, it felt rough and intimidating against my skin. "We'll start at 30," Carl said.

I lifted the bar up and started pumping my arms. Surprisingly, it was insanely easy. I did twenty without breaking a sweat. "Alright," Carl said. "That's too easy for you. I'll bring it up to sixty."

"It won't kill me, will it?"

Carl laughed and shook his head. "Not at all. Enjoy."

Carl changed the settings and I started to press upwards again. My arms trembled a bit for the first few, before I found a rhythm. Each time the bar came close to my chest I let out a breath. Troy looked over at me and flashed a daring smile. "I remember when I started doing sixty," he said, his voice a bit hoarse as he worked his muscles. "You know, when I was eleven."

"Don't tease her," Carl said, rolling his eyes.

"No, it's alright," I grinded out. My arms were starting to burn. "But can't you turn it up, Carl?"

He gave me a die-way glance. "I don't like hospitals."

"Don't worry." I smiled and nodded to the weights. Carl had a small debate with himself before finally giving in. With a sigh, he knocked it up to 90. My arms were starting to cramp now, but I held it out. "How's this?" I asked Troy, keeping my voice leveled. He grinned. "Twelve," he said simply. I rolled my eyes, and continued working my arms up and down. Occasionally, my eyes would flicker over to Troy and I felt an indistinctive flutter breeze across my abdomen.

"Hey," Carl said. "A friend from work is here. Mind if I go catch up with him?" He was mostly talking to me.

"Yeah," I said. "Go hang with someone your own age." Carl smiled at me, before grabbing his bag and towel and jogging off. "You doing okay, over there?" Troy asked. I started to say yes, but then counted against it. This guy had pounds and pounds of muscle in him―there was no point in competing. So I lifted the bar onto its latched and dropped my arms, letting out a sigh of relief. They felt like water, swaying carelessly on the floor. "Don't laugh," I told Troy half-heartedly. Troy stopped his weights as well and sat up. "I'm not. Promise." But I could hear the smile in his voice.

I sat up and glared over at him. "Okay, so what? Not everyone can be as strong as you."

"I like my girls with only a little bit of testosterone, anyway," Troy joked, coming to sit next to me. I raised an eyebrow at him. "When did I become "one of your girls"?

"When you were looking at me lift weights," he said humorously. I scowled at him and stood. "That means nothing."

"Of course not. It just means you're attracted to me."

"No I'm not."

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm―" I rolled my eyes. "You're childish." Troy laughed and stood as well. He threw his towel around his shoulder and my nose stung with his heavy, sweaty smell. "God," I coughed. "Even if I did have a feeling of attractiveness towards you, it's gone now. You smell like a skunk in heat."

"Is it a sexy skunk, at least?"

"You're disgusting. And completely full of yourself."

"Well, fine. I'll take a shower." He paused, looking back at me with a boyish grin. "You're free to join me."

"You know," I said, pointing at him. "I am trying to see things from your point of view but, I just can't seem to get my head that far up my ass." I grinned and Troy just rolled his eyes, walking off to the back. I then discovered that the smell died down a bit, but didn't exactly fade away. I grabbed my own towel and headed off to the showers.

"Who pissed in your Cheerios?" was the first thing Carl said to Annie as he walked into the kitchen. It was Wednesday, and finally, I was going to school. Annie and Carl let me off yesterday, but there were no excuses now. I sucked it up and stopped sulking about it after I threw my supplies in my backpack.

Annie blinked and pushed her bowl of Cheerios away, her face scrunching. "God, Carl. Now I've lost my appetite." Carl shrugged and grabbed the Corn Flakes. "And nothing's wrong."

"Liar," he accused.

Annie sighed. "It's nothing. Really. Just… a new guy at work. He's been bugging me."

Carl stopped what he was doing and raised an eyebrow at his wife, setting the box of cereal down carefully. "A new guy at work? What's his name?"

"Carl, please. I don't need you to get involved."

"Well, if he's messing with you, don't just sit there and let him do it."

"He's just hitting on me―it's really lame. Plus, I've got a new case. There's a lot of things, Carl. I'm fine." Carl wanted to say something else, but decided against it. I knew I hated when people probed their way into my life, so I understood where Annie was coming from when she didn't want to say anything to Carl.

"Troy's coming to pick you up," Annie said. "I would have, but I have to leave in five minutes. And be lucky Carl isn't―he'd drive you off the road."

"Hey!" Carl exclaimed. "I'm not that bad of a driver."

"Yes, and you also aren't that bad of a cook, are you?"

"I'm a slow learner," he defended. "Plus, I make good toast."

"Only on a good day," she explained to me. Carl rolled his eyes.

The doorbell rang and this time I stood to answer it. "Hey," I said, smiling at Troy. He grinned and checked his watch. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." I turned to retrieve my bag off the kitchen table and said goodbye to Annie and Carl. Troy and I exited the house and headed to his car. Which turned out to be an old, beaten up 1960 Chevrolet truck. I pushed my hands into my back pockets and stared at it in disbelief. As rich as these people were, Troy got a degraded kind of vehicle like this?

"I know what you're thinking," Troy said. "But it's been in the family since my grandpa was fifteen. He passed it down to my dad, and my dad passed it down to me."

"It's… nice," I said, and then slipped into the car when Troy unlocked it. He groaned and hissed when he tried to start it. "You sure it's safe, though?"

"It broke down… you know," he said quietly. "Once or twice. Or six times, but who's counting?"

"I am," I said flatly. Troy smiled and shook his head. He tried starting it again, and this time it did manage to start up. "Ah, see?"

"Yeah, it's absolutely perfect."

"You're just pissed because your pad is in too far," he said, and turned the radio on. I rolled my eyes and looked at him. "I could eat a bowl of alphabet soup and shit out a smarter statement than that," I said. "Tampons go inside, not―"

"Alright, _alright_," Troy said, his eyes widening. I grinned and sat back, letting Linkin Park's _In The En_d swirl and calm my mind. Unconsciously, I tapped my foot to the beat, and Troy noticed this. "You're a Lincoln Park fan?"

"I know a few songs," I said. I remember when two years ago I went through a punk-rock kind of stage, and started to listen to a lot of Linkin Park. I even cut my hair, dyed it red and black and disheveled it into this sexy biker chick kind of look, and smudged my eyes with black make-up every day. I had wanted to get my nose and tongue pierced, but my foster parents didn't want to give up their valuable money for me. They did, however, pay for me to get a belly button piercing, after weeks and weeks of begging.

"Aw man," he said, grinning. "The last girl that was in my car begged me to turn to another station."

"I'm open to any kind of music," I said.

"You should come to my house after school," Troy said. I raised my eyebrows. "Whoa there, tiger…"

"Not like that," he said. Then, with a crooked smile, "I mean, sure, if you want to we can get down and dirty. But I just want to hang out. Promise."

"Okay. But just so you know, I'm not afraid to pull your balls off or gauge your eyes out if you try to do anything."

"Good to know."

Troy and I road in a comfortable silence on our way to school. East High was a large school, with an even larger population. Kids' road up on bikes, in cars, on a skateboard, etc. "Wow," I said, getting out. Troy stepped next to me and nodded. "It's something, ain't it?"

"Definitely. My schools were maybe three quarters smaller than this."

"Come on." I followed after Troy into the school, and noticed how preppy it was. Cheerleaders were dressed in their outfits―and here I was thinking that that just happened in movies and shows―and the mascot was running madly through the halls, kids cheering as he passed them. Everything was covered in the school colors―red, gold and white. A lot of the kids I passed had on East High gear. "This is pretty cool," I said. Troy snorted. "Man, you should see us on game days, or during a pep rally. Your mind will be _blown._ But come one, I'll walk you to the office."

In the office a very pudgy woman with too much perfume named Miss Stevens handed me my roster and locker combination. Conveniently, my locker was in the same hall as Troy's, but not directly next to each other.

"Sup, Troy," Chad said, strolling up to us with Taylor, who was tapping furiously away at her phone. I was sure the buttons would pop off. "Hey, man," Troy greeted. Chad grinned at me. "Look who came back from the dead. You're looking real good, Montez."

"Chad, if ignorance is bliss, you must be a _really_ happy guy."

"Yeah, I am," he said, still grinning. Taylor snickered and looked up. "I really don't know what makes you so stupid, Chad. But it really works." Chad stopped, pausing to think and Taylor and I shared a look. Finally, he caught on, and glared at both of us. Troy laughed. "You asked for that one, man."

"Whatever," he grumbled.

"Where's everyone else?" Troy asked. I tried to recall the rest of his friends. Morgan, Clay and Sharpay. "Library," Taylor said. "We've got a project in English."

Troy groaned and leaned his head against the locker. Taylor reached forward and grabbed my rooster, looking it over. "Come with me, we've got homeroom together." I looked over at Troy who nodded, giving me his consent to go, and I went to stand next to Taylor. We said our goodbyes and headed off. "Pretty blown away, huh?" Taylor asked, shoving her phone into her pocket and gesturing around the school. I nodded. "Yeah. It's like… you guys are just one big happy family."

"We are," she said, and nudged my arm gently. "And we're also pretty open to accept orphans." Taylor smiled at me, and then nodded at a group of girls who were busy in their own world, applying lip gloss and gossiping heavily. "But… there is an exception. The Bitches, or, in their terms, the Preps. Every school has one, but these guys are ridiculous." They definitely looked the part. All four had blonde hair, and at least two had nose jobs or boob jobs. They were pretty, like straight out of Glamour magazine, but with how short their skirts were, and how much cleavage they were flashing told me that they were also the biggest sluts in school. "Stay away from them," Taylor continued. "They have a snake bite, and aren't afraid to shoot you down with their venom."

"You make them sound so evil," I said.

"Trust me," she said. "I've known them since elementary school. Even then they were snotty bitches. But, if you manage to not be much of a threat to them, they'll stay away."

"You were a threat to them?" I asked.

"I hung out with Troy a lot, even though I'm labeled as a chemistry geek. Troy's a good guy, so he doesn't judge, unlike the girls do. So thankfully they never became friends, and now they attack anyone who does become friends with him." I then realized that Troy was the "it" boy of East High. I nodded a little warily. "So… does that mean I would be a target?"

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Taylor said. "Look, here's Ms. Darbus's room." We walked in, and I took notice in how theatrical this teacher must be. Various musical posters, famous artists, and fancy, dramatic decorations sheathed her wall. "She's the drama teacher," Taylor explained to me. I nodded and fell into a seat. "I need to go get something form a friend." Taylor pointed across the room to a petite redhead. "Be right back."

I sat back in my seat and pulled out my notebook as I waited for class to start. There was eight minutes until then.

"Hey, you're new, aren't you?"

I looked over, startled, to see a girl right in my face. She had an eager smile on her face, and smelled a bit like cigarettes. She was pretty, in a daring way, with tanned skin, a stud nose piercing, and smoky eye shadow rimming around her green eyes. She had a few tattoos, and black highlights to mingle with her dirty blonde hair. "You're new, aren't you?" she asked again when I didn't say anything. I nodded and pulled out a pen, then flipped open my notebook. "Got a name?"

"Gabriella," I said with a sigh.

"Montez," she finished. I looked up at her, surprised. How'd she know my name? "I'm psychic," she explained with an amused expression. I rolled my eyes and looked back down at my notebook. "Come on. You don't have a sense of humor? Your name was on your book."

"Is there anything you need?" I asked.

"Yes. A friend. I'm such a loner." She sighed melodramatically and plopped down in the seat in front of me. To my horror, she straddled it, facing me. "Doesn't seem like it," I said, placing my pen down. She wasn't going to leave. "Oh, trust me, it's true." She held a hand out. "I'm Antonia Martinez. But, my friends call me Toni. So you're welcome to call me that."

"I thought you had no friends," I said, narrowing my eyes.

"I lied." She grinned, and I noticed the tongue piercing she also had. "I'm a good liar."

"Yeah. The best."

"Oh, God."

I looked up, and thanked the lord when Taylor came strolling up next to Toni. "Toni, get your ass up and leave my friend alone."

"Aw," Toni said with a mock pout. "I can't stay?"

"We don't allow leeches, sorry," Taylor said. Toni grinned and wiggled her fingers at ne, before turning and slinging away. I looked at Taylor. 'She's bad news," Taylor said simply. "She'll become your friend, get you into drugs and alcohol, and then she'll turn on you."

"I've encountered worse," I said, my voice faraway. Taylor looked at me for a moment, her eyes changing between different emotions, before she took a seat next to me. I sat in silence, tapping my pencil against the desk, and thinking long and hard, about nothing, mostly. My eyes drifted around the growing number of students, and the sound plunged to muffled noises. On their own record, my eyes fluttered closed, and a memory began to playback in my head, like a movie on the back of my eyelids.

It was around two in the morning, when I was nine, and I awoke to gunshots. I was crammed into the back seat of our VW, my teddy bear pressed tightly against my cheek. Instantly, I had sat up, panicking when I didn't see my mother. "Mom!" I called out and looked out the window. I pressed my small hand against it, watching in horror as my mom was on the ground, pointing a gun at a man. "Mom!" I called out again, but she couldn't hear me. I tried opening the door, but the child lock was on. Just as I was crawling to the front, another shot made my ears vibrate, and the man was on the ground. My mother stood and ran to the car, shoving the gun in her jeans. My face was nothing but frightened as she slipped into the car. "Sit back," she instructed.

"Mom―"

"I said sit back!" she exclaimed, glaring at me through the rear view mirror. Shaken, and utterly speechless, I did as I was told. My blood felt cold in my veins, and my heart was forcing its way out of my mouth. "Did you kill him?' I asked gently, trying to walk on egg shells to avoid her temper. Silence answered me. "Why did you kill him?"

"Just mind your own damn business," she said sharply. "And you need to watch your mouth. I didn't kill him."

"But… you shot him. You did a bad thing." My voice was small, compared to hers. And then the car stopped. My mother had pulled into a vacant parking lot, and got out the car. Before I knew it, she had unlocked the back door, and was yanking me out. "Listen here, you little bitch. Don't you dare tell me what's right and what's wrong. I know the difference, otherwise I would have left you on the street years ago."

I looked at the blood on her shirt, and she followed my gaze. But that wasn't what startled me―I was surprised when she smacked me hard across the cheek. The pain smudged my vision, making a cloudy blackness surround the corners of my eyes, and it spread across my whole face. I fell against the car door, shaking, and felt like throwing up. "Get in the car," she said, sniffling. Not wanting to be hit again, I followed her orders. All of a sudden, my bones felt as watery as my eyes, and I didn't want to believe that this monster was my mom.

But in reality, she was.

"Gabriella?"

Or, she used to be.

My eyes snapped open and Taylor stood above me. "It's time to go," she said. "Save the dozing off for chemistry."

I followed Taylor, looking down at my converse sneakers with interest. In fact, there was so much interest that I unknowingly collided into someone. I looked up and was faced with none other than one of The Bitches. I had only hit one, but the other three were close behind her. Taylor sighed next to me and grabbed my arm. "Come on."

"Wait, hold up," she said, grabbing my other arm. I looked down at her freshly manicured hand on my arm, and felt my blood start to boil. "You're kidding. This dork bumps into me without even much of an apology and you think about taking her away?"

"It was an accident, Blake, let it go," Taylor said. "We've all got to get to class."

"Get off me," I snapped, yanking my arm away from The Bitch―or, well, Blake. But the name still fits. Blake grins at me. "Ohh, feisty. I like it."

"A fist in your face would also be nice," I said. "Now back up off me." Blake's face turned a few shades redder as a few kids that stopped to watched snickered and giggled. Taylor pulled me forward and away, giving me a look. "Never again," was all she said.

"What?"

"Don't do that again. You honestly don't know these girl's, Gabriella. They'll make you cry."

"Sure. And I'll make them sob."

"Just don't do it again. I'm saying this because you're nice, and I don't want to see them ruin you. Okay?"

"Yeah, fine, whatever."

* * *

I had successfully survived the first few classes I had. It wasn't so bad. Not many people paid attention to me, and I had Troy and his friends to turn to if I was bored. But now it was lunch time, and that was a whole different story.

I only had lunch with Morgan, who informed me that she had to go to the library to study. She claimed that she had done horrible last year and didn't want to fall back again this year. That left me to awkwardly walk to the lunch line, surrounded by people I didn't know. This is one of the things I hate about moving to a new school.

East High's lunch wasn't as bad as my other school's lunches at least. They served a decent burger with a side of fries and apple juice. "Enjoy," the lunch lady said blandly. I sighed and turned.

And I was greeted with a pleasant surprise.

A big kid―he had to be a football player, or something―bumped right into me, spilling his pasta salad and meat loaf on my shirt, as well as tipping my pate onto me too. Ketchup was smeared on my face, and a fry was wiggling its way down my shirt. Some son of a bitch laughed, and then everyone else joined. My cheeks flamed not only in embarrassment, but in anger. I shoved the kid who bumped into me, who, might I add, was two times bigger. But I still got him to stumble over his feet and crash into a nearby table. "What the hell?" he exclaimed, standing. More laughter echoed of the white walls and I angrily stomped away. Wanting to add more to the hilarious moment, a boy thrust his foot out right in front of me. I tumbled down, face first, and felt a dreaded sense of defeat. These kids were horrible, and the staff didn't even spare a glance.

I took a calm breath, and then stood, turning to my tripper. He was skater boy, his skate board tucked awkwardly under his arm. "That was funny," I said. "But this is funnier." I grabbed his plate, and slammed the meatloaf into his face. Meat crumbled down his face, and into his shirt. I then grabbed his skateboard and pushed it into a trash can. "Fuck you," I said icily, and then turned.

I burst into the bathroom, and hurried to the sink. I was a mess, and felt a sudden urge to cry. But I couldn't let these idiots get to me. I wouldn't let anyone else ruin my life.

Quickly, I tried to wipe away the stains and food on me, but the job wasn't done well. I sighed and picked pasta and meat from my bra. Who the hell had meatloaf and pasta salad in the same meal anyway?

"Ohh, that looks rough."

My eyes snapped up, and met with Toni Martinez. She was smoking a cigarette, and I wondered how I didn't smell it. Maybe it was the sauce stuffed up my nose. She grinned and tossed the bud into the toilet. "Don't worry; I had a shitty first day, too, a few years ago. Blake Anderson―one of those stupid preps―dipped my gym bag in the toilet and put my tampons in the display case." I then realized that Blake Anderson must be the one I'd bumped into.

"Here." Toni reached into her bag and pulled out a wrinkled shirt. I turned and she tossed it to me. "We look about the same size."

"Yeah, this is good," I said. My gaze shifted to the stall, and then back to Toni, who was grinning. "Hell, no time for modesty," she said, pointing to her wrist. "It's ten minutes till class." I nodded and quickly pulled off my stained shirt. A few pieces of pasta and fries fell to the floor and I threw my shirt with it. Then I yanked Toni's shirt over my head and smiled graciously. It fit perfectly. "God, thanks. I thought I'd have to walk around all day with that shirt on. I don't get why Taylor was bitching about you―you're alright."

"Aw, thanks." She smiled. "Me and Taylor didn't get off on a good start."

"What happened?" I eased myself back on the sink.

"Boy troubles." Toni pulled out her pack of cigarettes and offered me one. I hesitated, but for only a moment, before I took one stick. She pulled out a lighter and lit both of them, then quickly shoved it back into her pocket. "Besides that," Tori finished. "I bet Taylor and I would be _great_ friends."

We stayed in there, mildly talking until the bell rang, three minutes later. "Wait," Tori said, a grin spreading across her lips. "Pictures? I want to cherish this moment as a start of an awesome friendship." Before I could say anything, Tori was tossing her arm over my shoulders and pulling out her camera. She snapped a few quick pictures, and then put her camera back away. "Memories are always best held in a photo," she said.

We ditched our cigarettes and ran out to class.

* * *

"So," Troy said as I walked up to him after school. He pushed himself off his truck and smiled. "how was your first day?"

"Crappy," I said tiredly. He quirked an eyebrow and I pulled out my shirt from my bag. How didn't he know? God, everyone was talking about it. "Damn," he said, shaking his head. "They really hit you hard, huh? Some of my friends were talking about a girl from lunch, but didn't mention a name."

"Let me guess. You laughed, didn't you?"

Troy shook his head, but I knew he was hiding a smile. The corners of his lips were twitching. I smiled slightly; I guess it was kind of funny. I would laugh too if I were in his position. But still, I swatted his chest with the back of my hand, and finally, Troy let a laugh tumble from his lips. "I'm sorry," he said, trying to cover it with a cough.

"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes playfully. We piled into the car, and Troy flicked on the radio. "Oh, no," I groaned as Troy put in a Nickelback CD. Troy laughed as I shoved my head into my cupped hands.

"_You know there's a dirty word. Never gonna say it first_…" Troy sung, badly off key. I actually laughed and bent over to rest my head against my knees while Troy pulled of and began to sing louder. "_No, it's just a thought that never crosses my mind_!"

"Shut up," I moaned. Troy stayed quiet, and I thought he'd turn it off, or at least stay that way, but no. He kept it on, and then began to sing against when the chorus came up.

"_S is for the simple need, E is ecstasy. X is just to mark the spot, 'cause that's the one you really want_."

"Troy," I begged, lifting my head and staring at him. He was ridiculous.

"_Yes, sex is always the answer; it's never a question_…"

"Suck a dick," I mumbled, burying my face between my knees again. Troy laughed and finally turned it off. To my happiness _Never Too Late_ by Three Days Grace was replaced by it when Troy switched CD's. I lifted my head and looked at Troy. "You're a dork."

"I'm a hot dork?"

"Cute." I was lying, of course. Troy Bolton was sex on legs, but I would never admit this to him. It took me a while to admit it to myself. I wasn't going to go ahead to blurt it out now.

"Aw," Troy pouted. He even made _that_ sexy. "Cute in a sexy way?"

"Sure, Troy. If it lifts your ego."

"It does."

I just shook my head and couldn't help the smile that bloomed slowly across my face. This might not be as bad as I thought. Maybe it was a sign to start my life over. Have a family and some friends. A fresh, clean slate. I had to smile wider as I thought about it.

Like we talked about earlier, Troy and I went to his house. I had never gotten a good look at it, even though we're neighbors. It was pretty much the same as Annie and Carl's.

Mikey bolted as soon as Troy opened the door. He practically jumped in Troy's arm, barking up a storm and licking any place he could find. I blinked and stepped away, hoping he wouldn't notice me. But he did, and he came on me now. I curled my fingers in his thick coat of fur and looked over at Troy who was silently laughing.

"Who's there?"

I almost didn't hear the frail, whittled voice from the kitchen. But Troy did. He set his keys down and walked in the kitchen. I rubbed behind Mikey's ear, which immediately calmed him down and made him settle back on all fours. I tightened my bag around my shoulder and followed after Troy into the kitchen.

He was knelt next to a woman, who looked maybe around seventy or eighty. Her soft gray curls were thin and fluffy on her face, and her blue eyes were faded into a light gray. Troy rubbed her wrinkled knuckles. "Hey, grandma," he said softly. She looked at him, and blinked a few times. "Who are you?" she finally blurted.

"Your grandson, granny," Troy said with a sigh. Troy's grandma then relaxed and broke into a happy smile. "Troy! How have you been, dear? Wow, you've grown so much. I swear, you had turned ten a few days ago…"

"No, that was eight years ago, granny," Troy reminded her. "It's 2012 now, you know that?"

"2012?" Her eyes widened. "No, that can't be right. It's 2005, isn't it?"

"2012, granny." He stood and rubbed her shoulders.

"Oh, yes, I remember now," she said, and began to get flustered. I tried to think back to health class, or science class, until finally it came up. Troy's grandma ad Alzheimer disease. "Did you eat today?" Troy asked. He walked over to the fridge and pulled it open. Troy's grandma then noticed me from across the room. Her deep-rooted eyes narrowed on me and she gasped. "Oh, Amy," she said. "My baby." Troy turned, and I could see he was just as confused as I was. She stood on thin legs and walked as fast as she could over to me. Tears were pooling in her eyes.

"Granny," Troy said. "Granny―no. That's not Amy."

She stopped, and Troy took his opportunity to grab her. He led her back to her seat and placed a glass of milk on the table next to her. "That's my friend, Gabriella," he explained quietly. "Okay?"

Troy's grandma looked to me, and her face was pained. The tears splashed over her wrinkled cheeks. "Oh. I see now. I'm sorry, dear. I must've scared you."

"No, it's fine," I said quickly. Troy coaxed her to drink the milk before he stood and walked to me. We left the kitchen and went to the living room. "Sorry about that," he said.

"It's fine," I said again, though my throat felt weird.

"She's got―"

"Alzheimer, I know." I cut him off with a brisk smile. "That must suck, huh?"

"It's, you know, hard at times," he said.

"Where are your parents?"

"At work. My mom must've left a few minutes before we came in, and my dad leaves in the morning. It's a perfect schedule, so someone can be with her daily." Mikey jumped on the couch, and tucked himself under Troy's arm. "She's gone downhill, and changed," Troy said distantly. "Not the same person she was eight years ago."

"That's when it was diagnosed?"

"Yeah. It was pretty hard on us. We didn't know what to do exactly."

"Sometimes the answer isn't always in front of you," I said, and looked at him. Troy nodded and scratched Mikey's ears. There was a short silence between us before Troy spoke again. "I wanted to show you something," he said. "I'll be right back." Mikey growled in disagreement as Troy stood and ran up the steps. Seconds later, he was barreling back down, a guitar in his hand. I swallowed and leaned back.

"This," he said. "is Bella." He plopped down next to me and propped the guitar up on his knee. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Bella? That's classy."

"I know. I had her since I was thirteen."

"Show me a song." Troy tapped on his guitar for a moment, thinking, before an idea struck him and he began to strum a few chords. It sounded familiar.

Was it weird that finally, I felt cool and relaxed? Especially with Troy Bolton?

"Ever hear of Time of Your Life? By Greenday?" I nodded. I could definitely fit the tune to the song now. Troy continued the song, and then began to sing. He was a bit out of tune, but at that moment I didn't really care. I pressed my cheek on my palm, resting on it, as I watched him. The veins on his fingers and arms strained, and he looked focused and engrossed in the song. His eyes flickered up to mine, connecting. I wanted to laugh at myself and pinch my arm to snap out of it, but Troy really, truly was something amazing to look at.

"_It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your life_." And then, as fast as it started, it ended as well. I grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. Though it was pitchy."

"I think I hear a bit of jealousy."

"Or maybe it was your ego deflating a bit."

"And here I thought we were on the same page with my ego."

"I'm serious, you sucked," I said, grinning when Troy glared. He placed his guitar down and scooted closer to me. I eyed him warily. "Say that again," he dared, and his eyes were leveled with mine.

"You suck―_Troy_!" I squealed as his hands attacked my sides, wiggling against my skin. I gasped and giggled, trying to grasp my fingers around his and shove them off me. But Troy continued to tickle me and I felt tears creep down my cheeks and my stomach cramp. "_Please_," I spluttered out, squealing when Troy moved to under my knee. "Say I sing like Usher."

"Oh, God no―_ohh_!" I nearly _accidentally_ kicked him in the face when he moved to my arms. "Okay, alright." I took a deep breath as Troy paused. I considered saying what he wanted me to, but instead I said, "You sing like you've got shit in your mouth." That resulted in Troy yanking my shoe off and attacking my feet. My stomach rolled. "You sing like Usher!" I finally exclaimed, giving up. Troy stopped and I opened my eyes, which I now realized I had closed at some point.

I wiggled my toes and sighed with a smile, not knowing the last time I had this much fun. I looked at Troy, and swallowed a brick in my throat at how close we were. Just a few inches away, and I could smell his cologne. "You're an asshole," I said. Troy laughed and backed away, grabbing the remote and clicking the TV on. "And you're a bitch, but I'm not complaining."

"You will be when I shove my foot up your ass." I kick his thigh.

"You should really apologize to your butt, Gabriella," Troy said, and I was amused at how much we were talking about our asses. "It's getting jealous with how much shit is coming out your mouth." I rolled my eyes, and let our conversation end with that. Troy turned on Tosh Point-O and I kicked off my other shoe, resting my sock-clad feet on Troy's lap. I had never had a natural relationship, but this must be as natural as it could get. I know how shitty and cliché this sounds, but it feels like I knew Troy a lot longer than I really do.

And I'm not sure if that scared me, or made me ecstatic with glee.

* * *

What do you think of the new characters? How about Toni? Does she seem a bit off to you, or no? Review and tell me please!

Thanks!-Brittany


	8. Revelations

Belong

Gabriella Montez has been abandoned by her mother, and after going through many homes, she's finally settled on one, the absolute perfect family, put into a new world, one she's never experienced, full of love and she's stuck between moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love. Will her new parents, and the sweet boy next door, finally reach out, and show her that she belongs? Rated M for future chapters.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but original characters. And I give credit to Sarah Dessen on her book Lock and Key for inspiring me to write this story.**

**A/N: Hey, guys! I hope all of your Christmas's, Hanukkahs, and Kwanza's were merry enough, and that you had a joyful and happy New Year! I know I did. I update quicker―I know, I'm shocked too. I was also shocked with just one review ): But I guess I deserved that. But it's 2013, a new year, and a year full of updates and loyalty. Well, I hope it'll be like that. Anyway, enjoy the chapter―there's a pretty big cliff hanger at the end.**

* * *

Chapter Eight

Revelations

At nine, just as I was nodding off, Troy shook me. I opened my honey-dripping eyes and looked over at him tiredly. He had a wide, shit-eating grin on his face. "It's nine o'clock," he shared. "Wanna go home or kick back in my bed?" His grin grew. "I'd prefer the latter."

"Ha ha," I said drily, pulling my legs away from his lap and sitting up right. I rolled my neck around a bit, trying to ease the tension that had built up. "That'll never happen." And it won't. Troy and I were too different; it'd never work.

"Well, then, you should let me try something."

I shoved my feet into my shoes, and then looked back at him curiously. He had moved forward, so his face was just a few inches away from mine. My breath caught, and I felt my heart ram against my chest.

"It's hot," I whispered. And what was happening was really bad. He raised his large hand, cupping the side of my cheek, and I wanted to lean against it. Feel its warmth. "Troy," I mumbled.

"Shh," he murmured. His lips were touching mine. "Just let me try something."

_No_. "Okay." I let my eyes fall closed, and Troy's lips began to caress mine. I followed his lead, and tried to keep my heart calm. But it was impossible. With a guy like Troy, and a girl like me, there's no way I couldn't be excited.

All too soon it was over. I popped my eyes open, looking worriedly over at Troy who was smiling. I wanted to smile, too, but my lips felt frozen. "Tr―" His lips were back on mine in an instant, and his weight pushed me back gently. Vigilantly, I looped my arms around his neck while his hands latched onto my waist. This had to be one of the most passionate, lustful kisses I'd ever given. Or received. He pulled back, nipping gently on my bottom lip, and I let a small moan vibrate in the back of my throat. Then his lips were trailing down the side of my neck, kissing and nipping away until my toes curled and eyes rolled.

"Troy?"

I gasped, and pushed him away.

By the door, a tall woman who resembled Troy in many ways stood in the doorway. "Oh, God," I whispered. Then louder, and to Troy, "I have to go."

"Wait, Gabriella―"

I gathered my bag and tossed it over my shoulder. "Uh―um―sorry," I said to his mom before walking around her and out the door. My heart was in my throat, and the tears were crowding in my eye. I tried to wipe them away, and that resulted in my bag dropping and the contents spilling out.

"Damn it," I growled, bending down to pick it up. I sat on the pavement with my legs pulled underneath me, and clenched my eyes shut. This was a mess. Why did I let him kiss me? Why would I just let him in like that?

Because it felt _so_ good.

"Gabriella?"

I wiped my tears away with my sleeve and stood up. Annie was coming out of her car, confused and worried. "Honey, what's wrong?" She locked the door and went over to me. I wanted to pull her in a hug, and cry and laugh at the same time, but something held me back.

"Nothing," I murmured.

"Gab―"

"I said _nothing's_ wrong," I ground out. "Just leave me alone." I turned and stalked towards the house. Annie's heels clicked behind me. "Oh, so we're back to this now, Gabriella?"

"Yeah, Annie, sorry to be such a disappointment."

"You're not―"

"Yes I am!" I whirled around to look at her. "That's why everyone leaves. It's why no one, not even my own mom, loves me."

"You know that isn't true," Annie said firmly. "Carl and I love you."

"You know that isn't true," I said, mocking her. "You don't even know me. Carl doesn't know me. I have so much baggage, Annie, and I'm still trying to figure out this damn thing on why you guys chose me. Out of all the cute, little babies, why me? I'm nothing special―I'm emotionally damaged, a border-line drunk, a delinquent. Am I missing anything?"

"Gabriella―"

"Please just stop," I whispered. "Because you don't get it. And this conversation proves it." I let out a shaky breath before turning and entering the house. Carl was on the couch, watching TV. "Hey, Gab…" I drowned his voice out and went up the steps, slamming the door closed. My mirror shook.

Surprisingly, but also thankfully, Annie or Carl hadn't followed me. I kicked my shoes off and fell back on my bed. I rolled over, shoving my face into a pillow, and let my tears seep into the stitches.

I was so fucked up.

"…need to tell her."

Swallowing, I turned my head. Annie and Carl had moved up the steps, to their room. I could always hear them from there.

"Annie," Carl said. "I can't…"

"Carl… please. I can't… I can't deal with this. I can't deal with her. Please."

What was Annie so worried about? What did she want Carl to tell me?

"Fine. I'll tell her tomorrow, though. When she gets home from school. I think she just needs some time to herself tonight."

I turned and groaned into my pillow.

* * *

I woke up still in the wrinkled clothes I wore yesterday. I must've fallen asleep after Annie and Carl's conversation.

I quickly showered and threw on some jeans and a shirt that was slightly too big. Then I ran down the steps and into the kitchen, hoping Carl was still there. He was sitting while Annie was cooking.

"Whoa, where's the fire?"

"I'm just, uh, excited for school," I said, gripping onto the back of a seat. Carl quirked an eyebrow. "You?" I nodded. "School, as in calculus, Spanish, jackass teachers?"

I exhaled and shook my head. "That was really, um, stupid to believe," I said. "I… I heard you guys last night. What are you hiding from me?" By the stove, Annie nearly did a 360. Carl sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You were going to tell me later anyway," I reminded him.

"Yeah, but…" He sighed. "Gabriella…"

"What is it? It can't really be that bad."

Can it?

"I…" He clenched his eyes shut tightly, and then opened them. "Gabriella, I'm your brother."

* * *

Yeah, I'm evil enough to make this chapter into a cliffy. It's short, I know, but hopefully it'll be longer next chapter. I'm hyped on Vampire Diaries, I've watched all of Season One today, and I'm already on Season Two. I liked Vampire Diaries before, but then I stopped liking it. So I'm going to watch all the episodes again and catch up!

So, yeah, I would really appreciate some reviews. The one review was kind of given, I mean, I make you guys wait so long. But I dunno, I think I'll become more of a dedicated writer this year. That will be one of my resolutions.

I was going to make Carl reveal this later on, but then I thought, why make this story a thirty chapter story? It'll maybe be a twenty chapter story, at the most. Maybe even short, but I doubt it. I don't doubt that it could be longer, though. I don't know, I surprise myself most of the time. So, I hope you liked it enough that you'll want to review. Just press the small button at the bottom and type how you felt about it―it'll probably make me update faster!

Thanks!-Brittany


	9. Pain

Belong

Gabriella Montez has been abandoned by her mother, and after going through many homes, she's finally settled on one, the absolute perfect family, put into a new world, one she's never experienced, full of love and she's stuck between moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love. Will her new parents, and the sweet boy next door, finally reach out, and show her that she belongs? Rated M for future chapters.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but original characters. And I give credit to Sarah Dessen on her book Lock and Key for inspiring me to write this story.**

**A/N: Okay, well, here's the next update! Wow, a lot of you guys were shocked. Well, you won't be the only one. Thanks for reviewing, it really means a lot :) There's Troyella fluff in here, but also a devastating encounter. Read up to find out! **

* * *

Chapter Nine

Pain

He's lying.

That's the only logical explanation to this fucked up shit. He's lying, and he's just playing some sick, sadistic joke on me. There's no way Carl could be my brother. He _has_ to be lying.

"Gabriella." He was standing now, his voice a tiny quiver. "Say something. Anything."

"Wow," I said, chuckling dryly, and combing my fingers through my hair. "That's… you had me fooled. I mean, as sick and twisted as this joke was, you got me."

"Gabriella, this isn't a joke," Annie said quietly.

I looked at both of them. Their faces were serious, and either they were really good actors or they were telling the truth. But they couldn't be. Carl couldn't have been my brother. My mother was only pregnant with me.

"You're lying," I whispered. "This can't be true―you're both lying."

"I know it's shocking, Gabriella," Carl said. "But no one is lying. After I heard that mom left you, I fought to become your legal guardian."

"You fought?" I said. "What about the other thirteen years of my life, huh? Did you _fight _then?" I pushed the tears away, replacing them with anger. "You left me in that goddamned house for _thirteen years_ with―with a crack whore knowing that she was unstable and I could get hurt! I did get hurt, Carl, every day. Emotionally and physically, but you weren't there to protect me. I _suffered_ in that house, Carl!"

"Gabriella… mom… she threw me in an orphanage when I was eleven. You were one. I wanted to go back for you, but I couldn't. Ad believe me, when I was eighteen, I tried to get you back. But mom kept moving, and… I wanted to protect you, Gabriella. Please understand that I tried. But it's not as simple as you think it is."

He was right. But a part of me didn't care about that. I just needed someone to blame. But apparently my walls weren't big enough, because I broke down. A sob ripped from my throat, and Carl was over to me in a second. He wrapped his arms around me, and I pressed my face into his shirt. "I wanted to get you back, Gabs," Carl whispered, rubbing my back. "I _needed_ to get you back, and every day that I failed to do that, I hated myself for it. I hated mom, too."

I sniffled and pulled back, looking him in the eyes. They were shiny with tears. "It wasn't your fault," I whispered, and my voice was off balanced. I shook my head and sighed. "And… I have so many questions."

"I have answers," he said. "Do you think you can wait until after school?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine, I guess."

Carl nodded and pulled me into another hug. "I love you." I breathed in, and nodded. _Not yet_, I reminded myself. I couldn't let him in just yet. "I'll see you guys later," Annie said once we pulled away. Carl gave her a short kiss, and then she left out the door. I grabbed my back pack and was just about to go as well, but Carl's voice stopped me.

"He was a great man," he said. "Too great for her. But he died, in a car accident, when I was seven. That's when she… changed."

I nodded. "Okay. I'll see you later, Carl."

Then I left.

The morning was cold and brittle. I looked around, hoping that Troy had already left, or wasn't ready, and when the coast was clear, I took off down the road.

It was so surreal. Carl was my brother. My mother had given him away at the tender age of eleven, younger than when I'd been abandoned as well. I clenched my fingers into a fist, as the hatred I felt for that woman grew. How could she do this to her kids? Did she have more that she gave away as well? Is this why she ran away?

I sniffled and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. I couldn't cry over her. She's not worth it.

"You don't look happy at all."

I jumped slightly, and turned my head to look beside me. Troy's car was silently rolling up next to me, his window down as he leaned slightly towards me. I sighed and shook my head. "Wow, what a mind reader you are."

"I practice sometimes." There was a short pause. "Gabriella, it's cold and windy. Get in the car."

"Who said I don't like cold and windy?"

"Please. I know you don't want to talk about last night, but we have to."

"No we don't."

"Yeah we do. It's not just something I can forget, and I know it's not anything you can forget, either." I stopped, swallowing, and knowing that he's right. With a sigh, I nodded and Troy stopped, unlocking the doors. I slipped in.

"What happened last night can't happen again," I said firmly when we pulled off.

"But you want it to happen again." Statement, not a question. My silence must've given him his answer, because Troy chuckled. "Why are you trying to fight it, Gabriella? It's not immoral to have feelings for someone."

"With a relationship comes trust, and loyalty, and love," I said quietly. "I've been deprived of those three things all my life and it's not easy for me to just let someone in."

"Let me earn it then," he said. "Let me own your trust, and your loyalty, and your… love."

"You don't know me, Troy. I've got a lot of baggage. I mean, I just found out that―uh, that, my mom had another kid. I'm damaged, messed up, fucked up―whatever you want to call it."

"You're funny," he said. "Pretty. Nice. You're fun to be around. Why can't you look at the good things? Sure, your life may not be perfect, but no one's is. And that just makes you human. It's what makes you normal."

"I'm not… exactly sure what normal is," I whispered. Troy was quiet as he turned down a foreign road, away from the school. I blinked, confused, and looked over at him. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see. Do you trust me?"

I paused. Did I trust him?

"Yeah. I… trust you."

The road dissolved into a dirty patch, and we didn't stop until Troy pulled up by a lake. It was like a lake you'd see in a movie. With the big tree, and a rope hanging down from it to make it even better. Troy and I exited the car.

"Normal," he said. "Is different for everyone." He kicked off his shoes, and started to pull his shirt off. I swallowed. "Troy. What are you doing?"

"This is normal for me."

"Undress in front of girls? Classy."

"No, I mean this." He left his pants on and walked up to the tree, grabbing hold of the rope. My eyebrows rose as he backed up, and then launched himself forward, letting go of the rope when he was in mid-air and his body positioned over the middle of the lake. He resurfaced, laughing, and shaking the water from his hair. "This looks like the least normal thing ever," I told him, deadpan. Troy laughed and climbed out of the lake. "I'm just trying to show you that―"

"You're slightly crazy?"

"―you can be normal even in the most unusual places."

I nodded, and contemplated my next move. And before I could even think any farther, I was yanking my shoes off as well, and pulling my shirt off my head, revealing my pink cami. "This kind of normal seems fun," I said, taking the rope in my hands. Troy smiled. "Not too crazy for you?"

"I revolve around crazy," I replied, and then ran forward. I let out a yelp when I became air born, and then let go of the rope. The water smacked me in the face, and it was both painful and exhilarating. There was another splash, and I knew Troy had followed me. "Not as crazy as you thought, huh?" he asked. I shook my head. "Not really. Cheesy, maybe, but not that crazy." Troy smirked and swam up next to me. The water was damn-near negative degrees, but when he wrapped his arms away, I warmed up. I curled my arms around his sculpted his abdomen and looked up at him. "You still think this is a bad idea?" he whispered.

I closed my eyes and sighed, shaking my head. "No. Not really." Then I opened my eyes. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make me smile. Make me feel good about myself. Not many people can do that."

He caressed my cheek, and this time, I leaned into it. "I'm not like other people, maybe."

"No. You're not." He pulled my closer and our noses nudged together. "I think you're a lie." I raised my arms to loop them around his neck. "Guys like you don't exist in my world." And then I felt the unmistakable wetness of tears tickle my cheeks. Troy chuckled lightly before pressing our lips together. I had kissed a few guys before, but none like Troy. His hands felt good against my skin, and his lips were soft and inviting. His arms tightened around me, pulling me closer, and through the thin wet material of my shirt, I could feel his muscles bulging against my stomach. His kiss was fierce, yet passionate, and I felt like I could be with him forever. Let the pain melt away with his warmth and acceptance.

"Thank you," I murmured against his lips. We departed, and he looked at me, a loud grin on his face. "Are you ready to get going?"

"Well, actually, can I, uh, show you something?"

"Here?"

"No, I mean… a house. It's, uh, not far from here."

"Yeah. Come on."

We climbed out of the lake and Troy helped me dry off with a towel in his back seat, and then dried himself off. I giggled and teased at how messy his hair was we nearly fell back into the lake when he started chasing me.

"So, uh, is it an old home?"

"Yeah. I want to go see someone."

Troy nodded, and I lead him towards it. My body was tingling with nerves. Would she even be there? It's highly unlikely, and I wouldn't be too surprised if she wasn't there. But I needed to try. I needed answers.

"Is this the one?" Troy pulled up in the block, and a dose of nostalgia hit me. The house still looked the same. Rickety and old as hell and there were even some dead flowers in the lawn. I nodded and shakily exited the car. "Uh, why don't you stay here? I'll just be a minute.'

"You sure? This place looks…"

"Yeah, I know. But I'll be fine. Promise." Just to show him that I would, I kissed him briefly on the lips. He grinned and I slung off to the house. My heart was in my throat, and I felt the urge to throw up as I reached under the mat and unlocked the door. It was shadowy, and a few mice scattered past my feet as I walked in.

"Jeremy?"

I stopped.

Oh, God. I'm going to be sick.

She was lying on the couch, drinking a beer and watching TV. My fingers were shaking, and I was sweaty, despite how cold it was. She turned around, ready to speak again, but she stopped when she saw me. "Mom," I whispered. The shock wore off in a few seconds. She tossed her beer on the floor and groaned. "What do you want? God, don't you see I'm busy?"

I stopped. I had feared I'd start crying, but I didn't. No, I wasn't sad or relieved.

I was angry.

"What do I _want_?" I hissed. "What the fuck do you _think_ I want?" I walked over to the TV, shoving my finger hard against the power button. My mom groaned again and at up. "God, what pissed on you this morning?"

"Is that all you really have to say?" I asked quietly. "_What do I want_? After four years… is that all you really have to say?"

"Hon," she said. "Listen. I thought I made myself very clear. I don't want any children, I never did."

"Is that why you threw out Carl?"

"Fuck yes. That boy was annoying. I swear. I thought I was going to explode. I mean, not as annoying as you, but still. God, I should have given you up to the orphanage, too, but―" Her words died on her tongue as my hand made contact with her face. The slap was hard, and my palm even stung. I was so stupid for wanting to come here. What did I expect? That she'd welcome me with open arms? This woman was a heartless as anything, and she'd never change.

"That's payback for all those times you hit me," I said quietly. "You're a bitch, and honestly, I hope you burn in hell." She just sat still, looking up at me with wide, shocked eyes. "Before I leave, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being such a great disappointment." I paused for a beat, and then turned and walked away and out the door. The onslaught of tears finally submerged, and I couldn't even make it to the car. I broke down. I fell to the ground, cupping my hands around my face, and sobbing. I'd cried because of my mom before but not quite like this. The first night as living as a foster kid, I cried myself to sleep each night, hating my mother for doing this to me. This visit was painful. She had treated me like the dirt she stepped on, like I was nothing to her. She had basically said it, too. I wish she had given me away. Maybe I wouldn't be like this if she had.

I felt two large arms pulling me into their body, cradling me and carrying me to the car. I felt foolish and stupid for crying in front of Troy, but I couldn't help it. It was like someone had just ripped a hole through my heart, and jammed it repeatedly with a knife.

This visit has been like a slap in the face, and a reality check. I hugged my knees and tucked my head between them. Troy was still rubbing my back and pressing kisses to my forehead.

"Why did she hate me?" I choked out. "Why did she just abandon me like that? What have I ever done to her?"

"I don't know," he whispered. "I'm sorry." My tears began to dwindle and I pulled my head up. I took a deep breath and gave him a sorry excuse for a smile. "Thank you, Troy. Can we, uh, go to school now?"

"You sure you want to go?" he asked skeptically. I nodded. "Yeah. I can't always run away from my fears. I'm not… I'm not like her."

"I know you aren't," he said, grinning. He got in the car and pulled off.

I didn't even spare one last glance to that hellhole. She didn't deserve it.

* * *

Well, how's that? I know it isn't the longest, but it's a chapter ^.^ And Troy and Gabriella are getting closer, and I guess you can say, are a couple now. Maybe. Kind of. Well, anyway, Ms. Montez will be back soon. As much as I hate her, she and Carl must see each other again, right? Or maybe Gabriella will see her again. Well, anyway, hope you review!

Thanks!-Brittany


	10. Lies

Belong

Gabriella Montez has been abandoned by her mother, and after going through many homes, she's finally settled on one, the absolute perfect family, put into a new world, one she's never experienced, full of love and she's stuck between moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love. Will her new parents, and the sweet boy next door, finally reach out, and show her that she belongs? Rated M for future chapters.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but original characters. And I give credit to Sarah Dessen on her book Lock and Key for inspiring me to write this story.**

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! This story is very stubborn, you know. It hates having chapters added. **

* * *

Chapter Ten

Lies

"Mom was like someone you'd see out a TV show. She could love anyone to death, including me and dad. Her heart was pure, and she always thought that morals were something to live by. She was always perfect… but she was pretty close. But then… then one day, dad had to pick me up from school. I had gotten into one of those schoolyard fights, and my eye was pretty beaten up. When he was driving me home… we, uh… we got into a crash. Some jackass passed a red light and our car got totaled. I got hit pretty badly, but I survived."

"But… not your dad," I whispered, my tears collecting at the corner of my eyes. Carl nodded. "Yeah. His body flew through the window. He died on impact. While I was in the car, I couldn't help but feel so scared. I didn't even care about myself, I was calling him. And I was worried because he didn't answer."

Carl took a deep breath, pausing for a moment. "When I was discharged from the hospital a week later, mom totally shunned me out. She didn't even care about me. She consumed alcohol like she breathed air each day. Slowly, I saw her shut down, become isolated, and I knew I had lost my other parent. Then she had you, a few years later. I thought she'd get her act together." His jaw clenched. "She only got worse. Next thing I knew, I was getting shipped off to some orphanage and never saw her again. And I don't want to."

"Thank you, Carl," I said. He looked at me curiously. "For telling me. I can tell it's hard for you… but you still did. Thank you."

"Well I don't really think I had much of a choice," he said. "But it feels kinda good to get it out in the open, you know?"

"Yeah, it is." I sighed and rubbed my temple. "You're being honest with me, so I'm going to be with you, too." She paused. "I, um, I visited mom today."

Carl's eyes were wide. "What?"

"I know, it was stupid. And I regret it. But… it gave me some kind of closure, you know? To know for sure that she wasn't just scared or not ready to take care of me, but just a complete self-centered, alcoholic bitch."

Carl chuckled. "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Are you okay?"

"I guess I will be," I replied softly. "Wounds don't exactly heal over a day's time." I settled back against the couch and Carl and I sat in a nice, calm silence. But it shortly broke when Annie leaned into the room, holding two cartons of Chinese rice. "I come bearing food," she said. "Chinese."

"I knew I loved you for something," Carl said jokingly. Annie rolled her eyes, and walked farther into the room. She placed the food down, but before we could start digging in, Annie spoke. "So, before we ignore the obvious elephant in the room, let's get it out. How was your little talk?"

"I think we've got an understanding," Carl said, grinning over at me. Then, without missing a beat, he dived into the Chinese food as if it were his last meal. Annie and I laughed, and my heart swelled.

I had a family.

"You okay?' Troy asked as I dumped myself into his car. I nodded and pulled my bag into my lap. Hesitantly, I pulled out a small guitar pick. It had Kurt Cobain on it, and was handmade. I swallowed and lifted it up, showing it to Troy. "Carl said this was his father's. I'm not a huge Kurt Cobain fan, but he was a legend to me through my Goth stage. Still is, kind of."

"It's like you're made for me," Troy said, chuckling. "I don't like Nirvana much, either, and I don't have a CD. But Kurt was legend. I learned how to play _Smells Like Teen Spirit_ when I was fifteen."

I sighed and smiled. "Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong time, you know?"

"We always feel that way, sometime or another."

We drove in silence the rest of the way. It was when we pulled up to the school, though, when I talked.

She was standing it ratty old jeans, and stained T-shirt, and scuffed sneakers. Her hands were shaking as she held a cigarette to her lips, and her hair was like a bird's nest. "Oh, my God," I gasped. I barely heard Troy asking me what happened. "My mom's here. Uh, out front."

"Why?" Troy asked. Hell if I know. But I'm going to find out. I ignored Troy and slipped out of his truck, walking slowly towards the bitch that had made birth to me. "What are you doing here?" I snarled as I walked up to her. She smelled like a skunk's ass and her smile was tight as she looked down at me. "I'm here to see my daughter. Is that a crime?"

"It is if I'm not your daughter," I said. "Seriously, I got your point. Why are you here?"

"I told you already."

I took a deep breath. "Okay. Why are you here to see me?"

She exhaled and looked down at her toes, and she looked nervous. I crossed my arms. "You mentioned Carl yesterday," she finally said. "Did you two… meet?"

"He's my legal guardian now," I said quietly. "Which should be your job, not my older half-brother's job."

"When Carl was born, I wasn't ready to be a mom, okay? I was fourteen, living off of poor parents who didn't want me."

"What's your excuse with me? You weren't ready then, either?"

"Being responsible for another life scared me. What if―what if―" She sighed and dropped her shoulders. "You know what; it was a mistake coming here. I'm just going to go." She turned and hurried away. Like always, running away from her problems. I scoffed and turned around, walking back to Troy's car. "You okay?" he asked as I grabbed my bag. I nodded, and he slipped out the car, coming around to meet me.

"You shouldn't worry about this," he said.

"I'm not. She's just… it just bothers me, you know?" I scoffed, smiling. "What am I saying? Of course you don't know. You've got the perfect parents. The perfect life."

"No one has a perfect life," he said. "Come on. The bell's gonna ring soon."

We walked into the school, and immediately, Tori jumped in front of me. It was like she had sensed I was coming. "Gabriella!" she squealed. "You will not guess what happened yesterday. I have to show you, come on." She tugged my arm, and I realized she wanted to pull me out of the school. I resisted. "Tori, we have to get to class."

"Come on," she said, giving me a pointed stare. "Do you really want to go?"

"Well, I missed most days. So, yeah." I briefly looked at Troy, who had one of his eyebrows arched.

"It'll be fine. Come on." She was frowning.

"Just show me after class," I said, starting to get aggravated. It can't be that important, could it?

"Fine, whatever," she said, then turned and walked off. I looked over at Troy, who shrugged quizzically. "Taylor said she's bad new anyways," he said. I nodded, hesitant, and we walked off to class.

I hoped that today's lunch would be better than my first lunch here at East High. They were serving parfaits and deli sandwiches. I just stuck with a small parfait and an apple, and then let my gaze wander around the crowded lunch room. It seemed as cliché as anything.

The jocks, with their basketball uniforms and their red and white letterman jackets, were sitting at a few tables close together, with the cheerleaders, who, surprise, surprise, were in their short, not particularly modest cheer uniforms. In a secluded corner of the room, were the stoners and skateboarders, who were _inconspicuously_ snorting lines. Then there were the nerds, who had their text books smashed against the tables, as they ate mouthfuls of food and kept their eyes on the words at the same time. A few of the guys were pretending little rolled up pieces of bread were guns. Lastly were the drama geeks and musicians. Their instruments were sprawled around everywhere, and some were even practicing some lines from a heavy script. I sighed irritably and walked around. A few people turn their heads to look at me, wide eyed and gaping.

_What the fuck?_

I noticed Toni in the back of the lunch room, lying down, with her plate of food balanced on her stomach. She seemed to be the only one without a clique. Besides me, of course.

With slow, deliberate steps, I walked to her. Her eyes were closed, but I knew she wasn't sleeping.

"Hey," I said curtly.

Toni popped an eye open. "Ohh, this is _grand_," she said sarcastically, and rolled her eyes. "So now you want to hang with me? Since your friends ain't around?"

"Come on, Toni," I said. "What did you expect me to do? I missed a lot of my classes, I already need to catch up and I started East High only a few days ago."

Toni moved her plate off of her stomach and sat up. "Alright, apology accepted. Sit down." I did, and Toni grinned.

"So, what's the deep on you and Troy?"

"Nothing," I said, picking at my parfait with a spoon. Toni snorted. "It's a secret? Fine. I'll tell you one of mine if you tell me one." I sigh, contemplating this agreement, before nodding. Toni smiled. "Alright… let's see… I stole a car before. When I was thirteen."

My mouth dropped. "You _stole_ a car?"

"Yep. But I didn't get in trouble." She grinned proudly.

"Wow. Uh… well, me and Troy are… complicated. I dunno. He hasn't asked me to go out yet."

"Oh. That must suck. God, if I were you I'd be all up on him. You should ask him. Guys aren't the only ones that are able to do that."

"I know, but… we're just so different, you know? I feel like I'm too much of a burden for him."

"Trust me," Toni said. "You are not a burden on anyone. I enjoy your company. You're one of the few people that actually like me."

"What about your friends?"

"Don't have any. I told you I was a good liar, didn't I?"

_Yeah. She did_, I thought uneasily. _A really good liar_.

"Don't worry," Toni said. "I won't lie to you. I don't lie to my friends."

I laughed, albeit uneasily. "That's a little hard to believe, since you told me how good of a liar you are."

"Come on." She threw an arm around me. "We're friends, aren't we? This means we gotta trust each other."

"Oh, look at this," a voice said. Both Toni and I looked towards it. A guy stood there―what was his name again? Blake Anderson? Behind him was his small entourage, with the same horrible, conceited smirk that Blake had. Toni scowled beside me. "What the fuck do you want, Anderson?" she growled. Blake crossed his arms and shrugged. "What? I can't say hi to the lesbian duo?" My mouth dropped. Lesbian?

Where had that come from?

I was about to stand up and defend it when Toni shot me a look and stood up herself. "What mine and Gabriella's sexuality is is none of your business."

I'm pretty sure my mouth hit the ground in shock. What the fuck was she doing?

The guys laughed and Blake looked at me. "So. You guys want to have a threesome?"

This is where it ends. Toni looks ready to say something, but I get to it first. I stand and my hand is across Blake's face in a second. He's shocked, and so is everyone in the room. "If you _ever_ say something to me like that again, I will make you eat your fucking balls," I spit out.

"Hey, hey, hey," he said, flustered. "You suggested it. The picture on the newspaper said you'd pay anyone who would like to have a threesome with you and Toni."

"What are you talking about?"

Blake pulled out something from his back pocket. It was a clipping from the newspaper/ Toni and I were on it, arms wrapped around each other in the bathroom. Under it, it says: Will Have Threesome for Forty Bucks an Hour.

I snatched it away and ripped it up. My head was dizzy with anger and I turned to Toni. "What the fuck is this?"

"It looks bad, I know," Toni said. "But it was supposed to be practical, alright? I was talking to this guy and I showed him the picture and he said we look like really comfortable lezzies. I tried to shoot it down, but then I was like, yeah, you know, we kinda do. He was the editor of the newspaper. He must've thought I was saying, yeah, we are lezzies. He must've made the rest up."

I wasn't sure if she was lying or not. But I was angry, nonetheless. I stormed out of the lunch room, yet again, and stumbled down the hall.

How can you possibly trust someone in a world of liars?

The hall was empty for the most part. I walked past doors and hallways, but stopped at one particular door. It was open, and a fresh breeze was contently hitting me.

I walked forward.

I walked up the large stairwell until the breeze grew stronger, and I found myself on the roof. There were flowers everywhere. Twisting over the railings and hanging loosely over the benches.

"Who are you?"

I turned around.

A girl, who was small and skinny, was hiding behind a few flower pots. Her hair was short, and a fiery red, that actually seemed to go well with her green eyes. She walked forward, raising an eyebrow. "Who are you?" she asked again, irritated.

"Gabriella Montez," I answered. "Uh, sorry, I didn't know that―"

Suddenly, she doubled over in laughter. My sentence died on the back of my throat as I stared at her, confused. "What?"

"I'm sorry," she gasped, clutching her side. "Oh, my God. Wow. You're… the one who… who…" She could barely even finish her sentence. "Who fell that day in the lunch room?"

And now I was irritated. "Wow. Look at how mature you are."

"Sorry, sorry… that was just so funny. And it was even funnier how you said, "Fuck you" to Clark Lawrence. I mean, no one messes with the hockey players, but you put him in his spot."

"Alright, well, I think I'm going to go now." I turned to walk away, but she grabbed my arm.

"Hey, wait. You came up here for some reason. Did you get humiliated in the lunch room again?"

"I'm apparently a lesbian now," I deadpanned. She shrugged. "So are my mom's. Nothing humiliating about that."

"It is when your supposed friend is the one who said it."

"Who would that be?"

"Toni Martinez."

The girl frowned. "Oh. Antonia. Yeah, she's a real bitch, you know? And, well, my sister, but I don't really like to call her that."

I looked at her dubiously. "Sister?"

"Yeah. After my mom divorced my dad, she found out that she was pregnant with twins. Me and Toni." I was even more surprised. They looked nothing alike, aside from the eyes. "We're fraternal," she said, as if she read my mind. She held out a small, manicured hand. "I'm Darcie."

I gave her hand a small, firm shake. "Why don't you call her your sister anymore?"

"She's manipulative." Darcie laughed cynically. "She stole my boyfriend a while back, too. And then when I called her a bitch, she made my life a living hell. Told everyone lies about me. Got everyone against me."

My throat went dry. "What kind of lies?"

"Horrible ones. Like, I once seduced my uncle and paid him four hundred bucks to sleep with me. Or, I try to… I try to _do stuff_ to her at night." Darcie sighed and looked down. "Do you know how disgusting that is? And she hit them hard to, so no one can really find out if it's true or not. Toni is a good liar. She can make anyone on her side. And that's why you can't get on her bad side."

"Wow," I said, feeling weird. "Taylor was right."

"Nothing's ever a lie when you're talking about Toni," Darcie said softly. The bell then rung and Darcie sighed. "I'll see you later, Gabriella." Then she walked down the steps. I heard the door close with a soft thud.

Sitting down on the bench, I thought long and hard.

I didn't come back down to the end of the day.

"Troy?"

Troy's grandma called from the kitchen and he dropped his bag off by door. I waited patiently as he went to attend her needs, and looked around. There were various family photos. However, there was one in particular that caught my eye. There was Troy, a little younger than he is now, holding a little girl that couldn't have been more than six or seven. Her eyes were wide and bright, and she clung onto Troy with all her might, a strong smile pulling at her lips. I walked towards it and picked it up. After a brief glance over my shoulder, I gently pulled the picture from its frame and turned it around.

_Connie Elizabeth Bolton 2004 to 2010 _

With a little gasp, I quickly slipped the picture back in its rightful place.

Troy had a little sister?

"Gabriella?"

I turned quickly at the sound of Troy's voice. He frowned. "You okay?'

"Yeah, sure, I'm just… how's your grandma?"

"Fine. Just a little confused, but that's nothing new."

"Oh." I nodded and moved away from the picture.

"You sure?" Troy walked over to her. "I mean, it's understandable with your mom and all."

"Have you ever heard anything about Toni?" I asked hesitantly. Troy shook his head. "I'm not into that gossip stuff." He paused. "Why?"

"I don't know. A lot of people who know her get hurt."

"Hurt how?"

"Emotionally, I guess. I dunno."

"Maybe you shouldn't hang out with her, then."

"Maybe not," I agree silently.

We sit down together and curl up. Troy turns the TV on and soon, I find myself dozing off.

* * *

So, that's the chapter. I'm not really feeling it. It took forever and a day to write, though. How are you feeling about Toni? Is she lying, or is Darcie?

Review?

Thanks!-Brittany


	11. Mom

Belong

Gabriella Montez has been abandoned by her mother, and after going through many homes, she's finally settled on one, the absolute perfect family, put into a new world, one she's never experienced, full of love and she's stuck between moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love. Will her new parents, and the sweet boy next door, finally reach out, and show her that she belongs? Rated M for future chapters.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, but original characters. And I give credit to Sarah Dessen on her book Lock and Key for inspiring me to write this story.**

** A/N: I'm sorry guys. It's been like two months, hasn't it? Well, here's the next chapter. I'll have the next one out soon! **

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Mom

"Ah, so there's Waldo."

My eyes blinked open slightly, and besides me, Troy stirred. He obviously hadn't said anything because the voice was feminine. And it sounded too youthful to be his grandma. So―

His mother.

My eyes opened wider and I sat up, reeling back and away from Troy as far as possible. I turned to see Mrs. Bolton, who had an amused smirk on her face. "I've been wondering when I'd get to see you again," she said lightly. I cleared her throat nervously. "Uh, sorry. I'll just, um, go."

"I'm not a piranha, and I won't murder you for falling asleep with Troy. I mean, as long as you're clothed and above the sheets," she said. Then added quickly, "That was a joke."

I laughed nervously and threaded my fingers through my hair. It was slightly tangled, and I winced as my fingers caught the worst twists and knots. "I always wondered when I would meet you. You and Troy spend a lot of time together."

I blushed. "I'm sorry."

"No need. It's actually good. He needs a stable girl in his life."

I'm anything _but_ stable.

"Willie?" Troy's grandma wailed desperately from the kitchen. "Willie!"

Mrs. Bolton sighed and walked into the kitchen. "Mama… Willie is gone. He's been gone for four years. Okay?"

"Gone?" Her voice was so lost and hopeless.

"Yeah. He died of a heart attack. Remember?"

"Yes," she said despondently. "Yes, I remember."

Troy stirred again beside me. I looked down at him and his eyes blinked open. He rubbed at them tiredly and yawned. I couldn't help but smile; it was so cute. "Hey," he mumbled and tilted his head forward to kiss my lips. My smile widened and I hooked my hand around the back of his neck, playing with the soft tufts of hair there. "Your mom's home," I murmured quietly when he moved to kiss me again. He exhaled loudly and looked up just as Mrs. Bolton was walking back in.

"Oh, good. You're awake. I was just about suggest to Gabriella that she, Carl and Annie should come over for dinner. I'm making jambalaya."

"You okay with that?" Troy asked me. I nodded and stretched. "Yeah. Thank you, Mrs. Bolton."

"Lucille," she said. "Call me Lucille."

"Yeah. Sorry," I said, feeling my face heat slightly. "Lucille."

I wasn't sure why I was so flustered around her. Maybe it was because I wanted to make a good impression. Especially with a past like mine.

Lucille smiled once more before whisking off and into to the kitchen. I exhaled softly and turned to look at Troy. He had a curious glint in his eyes as he stared down at me. "What?" I mumbled.

"Nothing. It's just…" His voice lowered. "… my mom _never_ tells my girlfriends to call her Lucille."

I couldn't stop the grin from spreading across my lips. _My girlfriend_. I could get used to that. So maybe we _were_ official. And not only that, but I was given the okay to call his mother Lucille, when none of his other girlfriends could. "Really?"

"Yeah. They'd call her Mrs. Bolton and she'd never say anything."

"That's so _cool_," I said, giggling.

"Wanna go up to my room?" he asked. My eyes widened. What kind of fucking question was that? Of course! "Sure," I said calmly. Surprisingly. Troy chuckled and grabbed my hand as he stood. We walked up his carpeted steps and to his room.

It was a typical room. White and blue walls, a queen sized bed in the middle of his room, and the usual furniture. But it still felt like a privilege that Troy picked me to bring up here. That he picked me for anything, really. We sat down on his bed, with Troy against the headboard and me leaning against him. His fingers made slow, tantalizing circles across my arms and his breath tickled the side of my cheek. "Thank you, Troy," I whispered.

He threaded his hands through my hair, tickling my scalp. "For what?"

"Making me feel happy. Being here. With me."

His chest vibrated slightly as he chuckled. "I think you already said this."

"Yeah, but… I really mean it, you know? My life was just so fucked up… and everything changed. And I can't really explain how grateful I am of you. And of Annie and Carl." I turned so I could see his face. He had a small smile on his face as he stared back down at me. "Thank you."

"I should thank you, too, you know. No matter what happened in your past, you're still perfect to me."

"And you're so corny."

"Hey, you know what I heard at school today?"

I played with his fingers absent-mindedly. "What?"

"I'm dating a lesbian."

I laughed. "Yeah. Apparently, Taylor was right. Toni is a total bitch and told everyone that we're lesbians. And then that asshole, Blake Anderson, said he wanted to have a threesome with us."

Troy stiffened. "He _what_?"

"Yeah, but don't worry about it, Troy. If he says it again, I'll just punch him in his balls. Then punch Toni in the face."

"I always hated him," Troy said. "And if I see him and he brings it up―"

"I give you full permission to kick his ass," I said, giggling slightly. Troy smirked and grabbed my hand. "And I'll gladly do it. Oh, hey, look what I have." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue packet. He dangled it in front of my face and I raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

His mouth flapped open in shock. "It's Fun Dip! The best kind of candy in the whole fucking world."

"Never heard of it."

"Then you've had a horrible childhood," he stated.

I looked down and chuckled a bit dryly. "Yeah, I know."

"Oh, shit, Gabriella. You know I didn't mean it that way. Shit―I am such an idiot." He sighed and I flashed him a small smile.

"It's fine, Troy. Really."

We fell silent for a moment. Troy sat up and ripped open the small packet, revealing blue, sugary dust and a white candied stick. He scooped some of the blue powder on the stick and held it up to my mouth. "Here. I hope the taste of this makes up for my assholeness."

"Troy, you're not an asshole."

He raised an eyebrow and gestured to the stick. I sighed, eyed it warily, and then closed my lips over the stick. The taste exploded across my tongue and I moaned slightly. "Christ," I moaned. "That's good." Troy laughed and scooped up some more. I rolled my eyes at the small amount of grains he gathered and grabbed the pack. "Fuck that." I then proceeded to dip my head back and dump the sugary goodness into my mouth. "Don't eat it all!" Troy whined. I smirked and brought the pack down. Instead of using the stick, I dipped my finger in and held it up to his mouth. Troy's eyes widened slightly and he licked his lips. "Eat up," I murmured.

Troy wasted no time to clamp his lips down around my fingers. The feeling of his tongue squirm against my skin had my nerves tingling with excitement and lust. I swallowed hard and pressed my knees together.

_Holy shit_.

Troy detached his lips form my finger, looking at me with the utmost lust and passion in his eyes. He grabbed the Fun Dip and pressed his own finger in, bringing it back out with dashes of sugar on it. Then, mimicking my actions from before, he brought his finger to my lips. I grinned and flicked my tongue out with a quick lick, then took his whole finger in my mouth and swirled my tongue around it. Troy let out a slight growl, and then pounced forward, crashing me down against the bed and pinning my arms down.

My hands moved everywhere at the same time. Up his shirt, down his back, caressing his flexing muscles, stroking the slight stubble around his chin. His mouth, much to my dismay, departed from my lips. But to make up for the lost contact, he peppered broiling, open-mouthed kisses against the hollow of my neck and suckled. "Oh… shit…" I breathed. My senses were on over-drive, and all rational thoughts, including the one that knew Troy's mom and grandma were down stairs, tore out of my mind.

"Troy," I moaned and wrapped my legs around his waist. He moved lower, right to the top of my shirt. My breath hitched when he pulled it down some, licking and sucking at the slight cleavage. I gasped when he palmed my boob with one of his hands, and wished desperately that I didn't have my damn shirt and bra in the way.

I rubbed my knee against the strain in the front of his jeans and Troy moved back up to my face, crushing his lips fervently against mine. I fisted his silky locks in my hand and grinded up against him as our tongues twisted and probed against each other.

Fuck, if his mom wasn't down stairs…

I needed to stop this before it got too out of control. I pulled back breathlessly and looked up at Troy's bruised lips and messy hair. "Do… do you have any more Fun Dip?"

His laugh did wonders to my stomach. He nodded and sat up, reaching into his pocket again and pulling out another packet. This time, it was strawberry flavor. I ripped open the packet and poured some into my mouth. Then I grabbed Troy's collar, catching him by surprise, and pulled him down to me, pressing my lips against his. He moaned and pulled away, licking his lips. "You taste good."

"Enough to eat?" I joked. His eyes flickered down to my jeans and he nodded with a hearty grin.

"Troy! Can you come here, please?" Lucille called from down stairs. I looked at the door briefly, then back at Troy. "I wish we were alone," I whispered, then kissed his lips chastely. The door popped open then, and it was as if Lucille had just flicked a flame into the room. Troy and I burst apart, and I felt all the blood rush to my cheeks.

Lucille just laughed silently.

"Well, I'm here now, so no need for you to come," she said. She walked further into the room and sighed softly. "Alright, so, you're both teens…"

"Mom," Troy groaned.

"No, let me finish. It won't be that embarrassing. I promise." Troy still shook his head and threaded his fingers through his hair. "I know what it's like to be one, so I know the urges that you guys have. And I'm not going to stop it, because I hated when my mother did that. But, please… be safe? I'm glad you two… _hopefully_… weren't doing anything while me and granny were downstairs. Please, for the sake of avoiding humiliating in the future, keep all of your clothes on while I'm here."

"Mom," Troy said again, horrified. I giggled quietly, despite my own discomfort.

"Honey, I just don't want a grandchild yet. Gabriella, birth control is a very good best friend to have. It may cause some weight gain, but you're already a small thing." I blushed. "Ooh, and condoms. If you want, I can go get you guys some…"

"Mom, we're not even having sex!" Troy yelled.

"Yet. You're not having sex _yet_. Trust me, you will soon."

"Mom, we get it now―"

"If you don't know how to put a condom on, too, I can help you guys. It's really easy to break, so―"

"Mom!"

"Okay, okay, fine," Lucille said, exasperated. "I just want to know that you guys will be safe when you take the next step."

"We will, mom. Thanks."

"Thanks, Lucille," I said.

Lucille sneaked one more smirk before turning and walking out the door. "So…" I trailed off. "Sex."

He smirked. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine. It's good to have a mom who cares about you."

He sighed. "You keep making me feel guilty."

"You shouldn't. It's not your fault my mom's such a bitch."

"Hey, guys?"

Lucille appeared in the door again. "I'm sorry for interrupting again, but there's someone here for Gabriella. I wanted to send them away, but…"

"They?" I sat up, confused. "Who is it?"

"Uh, she says she's your mom. But she's got a little boy with her, too."

I swallowed. "Little boy?"

"Yeah. Like, three or four."

"Jeremy, is that you?"

My mother's words echoed around in my head. When she had thought I was Jeremy, I just assumed it was another one of her boyfriends. But could it possibly be another kid of her's? "Should I send them away?"

"Uh… no," I said. I felt Troy's baffled look pierce into me. "I'll just go talk to her."

I staggered out the bed, Troy following behind me, and we went down stairs. Lucille opened the door and there was my mom.

With a little boy.

"What's going on?" I whispered.

Maria sighed. "I… can I come in? Can we come in?"

I was hesitant, but nodded anyway and moved aside. The kid whispered something. "Shh, Jeremy," Maria said gently. It was like looking at a whole new person. She hugged Jeremy close and sat down on the couch.

"Is that your son?" I asked.

Maria nodded slowly. "Yeah. I… I found out I was pregnant a little before you turned thirteen." By this, she meant a little before she abandoned me.

"He's three?"

"Yeah."

"Why?" I asked, feeling the anger start to boil. "Why do you keep having kids when you're just going to end up abandoning them?"

Jeremy was a cute kid. His hair was curly and I could see the similarities him and Carl had, especially with the green eyes. And him and my mother. "I'm not going to," Maria said softly.

"Yes you are. That's all you know how to do. And he's living in that piece of crap you call a home? Do you know how dangerous and unsanitary that is?"

"Look, Gabriella, I don't need you to tell me―"

"Like hell you don't! You don't know how to be a parent! He would be better taken care of in a foster home, or―"

The sharp sound of hand hitting skin startled my sentence. I sat back, swallowing, as my cheek throbbed in pain. My mother stared at me with such venom and anger, I had to cringe and look briefly away. "You are _not _taking my son away from me," she seethed. And just to emphasize her point, she pulled Jeremy closer, stroking the soft curls on his head.

I don't ever remember her doing that to me.

"Ms. Montez," Lucille started, authority in her voice, but I looked at her and shook my head. I forgot her and Troy were there. Troy had a stoic look on her face, scowling as he glared at Maria. "Can we have some time alone?" I asked.

"Gabriella―"

"We'll be fine. I promise."

Both Lucille and Troy looked weary, but they respected my wishes anyway and stalked out. I took a deep breath and looked back at my mother. "What's different? What changed?"

"I don't… I don't know. I just feel the need to protect him."

"Do you really? Or are you just going to abandon him like you did to me and Carl when Jeremy gets older?"

She fell silent and looked down at her knees. I snuffled to the edge of the couch. "Can I see him?"

Maria nodded. "Yeah. Go to Gabriella, Jer. Go give her a hug."

Jeremy was diffident, but he did slip away from our mother and walked shyly over to me. He wrapped his small arms around my body and I reciprocated the action. This only lasted for three seconds before he pulled back and looked at me curiously. "Who are you?"

"I'm your sister," I said softly, falling in love with his tawny eyes and dimpled cheeks.

"Sister?"

"Yep." I smiled. "See, that's my mommy over there."

He dragged his green eyes over to Maria. "Thas my mommy too," Jeremy said. He suddenly let go a goofy grin. "Do you wanna play wif me?" he asked, his words cutely slurred together. I chuckled. "Maybe later."

"Pwomise?"

God, if she does anything to hurt this kid… My smile widened and I nodded. "Yep, I promise."

"Okay!" Then he totted back to Maria. I sat back on the couch and returned to my serious demeanor. "Alright, Mom, why are you here? I know it wasn't just because you wanted us to meet Jeremy."

"No," she agreed. "Gabriella… the landlord kicked us out."

"Oh."

Shit.

"Where is all of your stuff?"

"In the car. I can't… I don't want him growing up on the streets, Gabriella."

I swallowed. "Mom, when was the last time you had drugs?"

She sighed. "This morning." She scrubbed her dirty face and groaned. "I don't know what to do. I don't have any money for a hotel, or even a motel…"

"No money at all?"

"Jeremy's father took all of our savings."

"Who is Jeremy's father?"

"Just some guy I met. At a club."

"Mom, I'll help you. But you have to get help. I'll ask Carl and Annie to pay for rehab."

"I'm not―"

"Yes, you are. Either that or nothing."

Mom sighed loudly and tucked some of her greasy hair behind her ear. "Fine. Alright? I'll do it. For Jeremy."

I nodded. "For Jeremy."

* * *

"You _what_?"

Carl's face boiled with anger as I wrung my fingers together. "Carl, she's not staying here―"

"But you're saying her son will?" he yelled. I winced. "Yes. And your bother. Carl, I know what she did was horrible, but we can't throw him out on the street. I don't forgive mom, and I don't think I ever will, but…"

"Gabriella's right," Annie said. "She's horrible, and I hat her just as much as you do, but she brought you into this world and I'm grateful for it."

"We can't let her hurt this little boy like she hurt us, Carl," I whispered. Carl pulled his fingers through his hair. "You know what? Fine. I just… if I see her face, _don't_ expect me not to mess it up."

"You're _not _going to hit your mother," Annie said.

Carl scoffed. "I'm not. She stopped being my mother long ago."

"Well, they're outside. Mom will have to stay here a while until we can get her into the center."

Carl scoffed again. Then he turned and stalked up the stairs, his door closing loudly behind him. Annie smiled over at me. "Well, it's good you're being so responsible about this, Gabriella."

"I'm a little surprised myself. But Jeremy… I can't leave him with her on the streets. She'll get so tired of him and leaving him alone."

Annie nodded. "And you're going to be okay? You know, about your mom and stuff?"

I hope so. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Annie nodded at me once, but I could see the weariness and uncertainness in her eyes. We went outside to help move the stuff in, which was hardly anything. All Maria owned was a few dirty sweat shirts and one pair of jeans. Jeremy had a few toys that needed to be washed and sanitized thoroughly, and I suggested doing it, but Annie shook her head and tossed a few out, saying she'd buy more. Jeremy had four outfits total, and by Maria frowning and cringing, I'm guessing that it wasn't because she didn't care about Jeremy, but it was because they hardly had any money.

"Grabriella!" Jeremy screeched, holding out his arms for a hug. I laughed and grabbed him in my arms. "Hey."

He watched Annie taking his toys. "What is'she doin?"

"Well, we're going to buy you some new toys," I said. "You can pick them out, too."

His eyes brightened. "New toys?"

"Yeah."

"And den you play wif me?"

"Mhm. But later, after we moved your stuff in, okay?" Jeremy nodded eagerly. "Okay, come on." I set him down and he ran off into the house. Maria sighed and leaned against her car. "So, where's Carl?"

"He's upstairs. And doesn't want to see you."

"Figured as much. How's he been?"

"Good. He's got Annie, who is really great. You would know this stuff if you hadn't left him."

Maria sighed. "Are you gonna drop this?"

I scoffed. "Drop it? Do you honestly think it's _that_ easy? I can't drop it! I can barely even look at you. What you did… what you did to me, do you understand it _ruined_ my childhood?"

"Why are you helping me if you hate me so much?"

"I'm not helping you. I'm helping Jeremy. He deserves better than what you're giving him."

"I'm giving him all that I can!" she yelled. "Okay, I'm not the best mother, but I'm actually trying here, okay?"

"You'd be trying if you got your shit together and stop taking drugs and getting drunk every day. You'd be trying if you got a fucking job. If you really, truly, love Jeremy, then you have to try."

"Okay. Okay. I'm―I'm going to rehab, aren't I?" She scratched the back of her head and sniffled. "Okay, I'll get better. Then I'll come back and get a job."

I nodded. "Bring your stuff in."

* * *

Sorry, it's been like two months, guys! I didn't really know what to do with the chapter after Gabriella and Troy went upstairs, though. My mind just went blank. I didn't really think of Maria having another kid, either. It just kind of flowed into the story. Well, anyway, I hope you guys review!

Thanks!-Brittany


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